All Change
by BekiC
Summary: It's three years after the heists. Everything has changed. But can news that Mia brings make a difference to the life they have rebuilt for themselves? And what happens when everyone around you is happy, but you are about to drop a bombshell?
1. Jesse's Dead

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with TFATF. I also have nothing to my name. So don't sue, there's no point.

A/N: I realise it is nigh on six years since this film was released. However, I like the film and fancied writing my take on what happened after.

* * *

"Letty, babe, we need to get you to a hospital." Leon urged, as his passenger slowly drifted. It was as if she had put on a brave face whilst Dom had been in the car, and now that he had left with Mia, she no longer had to act. She was still defiant though.

"No, I am not going anywhere without Dom. He'll be back soon. We can sort it then."

The black Honda pulled into the driveway of his small house. The car would have been recognised at a thousand paces, but it was the only place that he knew would be relatively safe for them. He got out of the car, and rushed round. Trying to stand, the pain in her chest grew more intense.

"Come on you. Lets get you inside." Letty placed her arm around him. She flinched as he cautiously lifted her from the car and carried her into his house.

Compared to the Torettos, his house was a shack. But then, he was rarely there anyway. He placed Letty gently down upon the sofa. Various magazines were strewn across the floor. Apart from them though, it looked like someone had merely left it one day and never returned to clear it out properly. There was a small television in the corner, the dust on it about two inches thick. A second sofa was placed under the window. It was vastly different to the Torettos and she could see why Leon didn't spend much time here.

"You kept this quiet." She remarked as he came back into the room. Leon was carrying a glass of water, some kind of dressing and painkillers.

"Didn't see the point. Its only a base really, you know a place to put my head when I get sick of you lot." Letty let out a small, almost pitiful, laugh. The pain in her chest was not subsiding. She knew there was something wrong, but she didn't dare go to the hospital, "Dom knows about it. He had to help me clear out my mom's things. They got too much to be around. Constant reminder, I guess."

"When my mom died, I got left with the house. But by that time, I had pretty moved in with you lot. I kept it because it was easiest. Plus, I figured one day I would do it up. Guess that is going to have to stay on the back burner for the time being. You all right?"

"Yeah, just perfect." Leon wiped away the blood from her face. He could hear her struggling for every breath she took. The worry translated on to his face.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. Save that for Vince. How are we going to get him back?" He shook his head before looking at the ground. How had his life gone from a relative calm to this? His family had been torn apart. No one knew where Jesse had vanished to, Vince was in hospital, Dom and Mia were planning their escape, and Letty looked as if she could pass off as a corpse in some bad horror movie.

"Letty! Baby, wake up." He hadn't notice her breathing become more strained, the colour draining from her face, "Don't you dare do this to me. Don't die on me." He ran over to the phone, and punched in 911. He ran back over to his friend. "Yeah, I need an ambulance quick. Its my friend, she's hurt…"

* * *

Dom pulled up behind the white Jetta. Mia was still cradling Jesse in her arms.

"Mia, get in." He hollered. She turned to look at her brother.

"What the fuck did you do, Dom? Where's Brian? What happened to your head?" He rushed to his sister's side, pulled Jesse into his arms and carried him into the house.

Lying him down on the sofa, he placed a blanket over his friend. Before covering his face, he kissed the top of his head.

"Sorry, bro. Things shouldn't have ended like this." Standing up, Dom grabbed his jacket from the chair opposite. He quickly ran over to the cupboard, grabbed a small box and rushed outside. Still crumpled on the floor, Mia looked inconsolable, "Mi, we have to go. Jesse is gone and I refuse to lose the rest of my family." She pulled herself off the floor and walked over to the Supra.

After a short drive, they had arrived near Leon's shack. Paramedics were standing in front of the house. Pulling over to the kerb, Dom assessed the scene in front of him. He could make out Leon standing on his porch, his face telling him everything he needed to know. He couldn't see Letty anywhere.

"I can't just leave her." He said, not knowing if it was to himself or out loud. Did it matter?

"Then don't. You said yourself, you can't lose the rest of your family." Mia responded. Her eyes were blood shot, she looked exhausted. Dom started the engine again, and pulled closer to the house. Leon spotted them, they weren't hard to miss in Brian's bright orange Supra. He jumped down off the porch and rushed to them

"Bro, its Letty. She didn't want me to, but she would have died. I'm sorry. Its just the medics, no cops. I'll let you know where we are, just disappear for a while."

"No, I can't lose her." Dom yelled as he got out of the car. He walked over to the back of the truck. He caught a glimpse of the gurney. Lying on it, so deathly pale it pained him, was his girl, "Letty!"


	2. You Can't Take Her With You

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything to do with TFATF. I also have nothing to my name. So don't sue, there's no point.

Chapter 2

"Who is responsible for Letty, erm…?" The doctor asked, looking down at her notes. Dom moved his sisters head from his chest. Mia was fast asleep. Leon, sitting opposite, was in a similar state of slumber. He rose to greet the doctor, knocking Leon's foot as he did. Leon opened his eyes, and quickly stood.

"I am. How is she?" He asked. He'd seen this face before. When his Dad had died, this was the face that had greeted them. He knew before they said anything that he wasn't coming back. Now staring at the doctor in front of him, he was fearful of what she was to say next.

"Are you her brother?" Dom snorted.

"No, I'm Dominic, her husband." Leon stared at him confused.

"She is fine, well, as well as can be expected. She has a pneumothorax," After an audible sigh of relief, Dom gave her a look of confusion, "a collapsed lung, I mean, several broken ribs, serious bruising to her chest and back, and numerous cuts. We nearly lost her, but all in all, she is very lucky. Are you Leon?" She asked as she turned to look at the other man. He nodded his head, "You said she got these injuries from a car accident." Dom looked at Leon in frustration.

"Yeah, she was coming down towards my house, and something must have run out in front of her, because she ended up flipping over." The doctor looked at him, sceptically, but was more concerned with her patient.

"Can I see her?" Dom asked anxiously. The doctor nodded before leading him towards Letty's room, "Leon, look after Mia."

After a short walk to the room, the doctor motioned for Dom to enter. The scene shocked him. There was a bed, with a girl on it, looking more fragile than he had ever witnessed. He couldn't equate this girl with the girl he knew and loved. The Letty who was so strong and full of energy, yet had given him moments of unadulterated pleasure in the secrecy of their own private world. Now, with her dark chocolate hair pushed back away from her face and no colour in her usually radiant skin, she was doing a startling good impression of a dead body. Had he not been assured that she was fine, he would have been convinced he had lost her.

"Don't worry, the machines she is hooked up to are just a precaution. She will be fine, given a few weeks to properly recuperate, though she should be able to go home in about a week. She should wake up within the next few hours. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch her second name. It's just your friend only managed to tell us she was called Letty."

"Its Toretto. Letty Toretto." The doctor smiled, and left the room.

Dom slowly walked towards the bed. His eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow. "Baby, look at you. Look what I let happen to you. I promise you, we're going somewhere, anywhere. Anywhere you want, we will go."

There was a gentle rapping at the door, Dom looked over to see Leon poke his head round the door.

"Can we come in?" He asked, before proceeding to enter the room. A slightly dozy Mia followed behind. She walked to the other side of the bed and pulled up a chair. Taking hold of Lettys hand, she looked at her friend.

"What you said out there, bro. What did you mean? Is there something you should be telling us?"

"Don't worry. We're not married. Its just easier. They're reluctant to give details if you aren't related in some way. Boyfriends don't count, husbands do."

"I didn't give her surname before. I guessed that it would be easily traced. I don't know how much they know, but if they saw Letty's full name on a hospital record they would be all over her." Dom looked at his girl, before cursing.

"I've screwed up. I didn't even think. I gave her my surname. It was the first thing in my head. Where's Vince? We have to get out of here." Mia looked up. Her half awake pose disturbed by her brothers swearing.

"What's the matter? Is Let gonna be all right?" Leon nodded before looking back to Dom, "I am tired of being in the dark. Look, I may not have wanted you to do this, but I am pretty much involved now. So tell me, what is going on?"

* * *

Vince woke up, his eyes blurring the scene in front of him. He could make out a male, with blond hair 'Jesse?' He thought to himself. Trying to focus his eyes, blinking a few times, he heard a familiar voice.

"You were lucky." 'Strange', he thought, 'it sure doesn't feel like it.' His eyes began to focus properly. He could make out the man in front of him.

"What do you want?" Vince asked Brian. "I knew there was something about you."

"I can get you off, so you had better be nice." Vince snorted. "Look, I could have left you on that truck. But I didn't."

"Yeah, cause that would have looked real good in Mia's eyes. Leaving her brothers best friend to die. Some hero you would have been."

"This isn't about Mia. Dom's gone. I let him get away." Vince looked at his rival. Something about that sentence didn't seem to make sense. Nevertheless, he was hardly in a place to argue. He flinched as he moved. He looked down at his wrecked body.

"Where are the others?" Brian shook his head. He wondered whether telling him about Jesse would be the best idea, considering the feeble state he was in.

"Letty and Leon are long gone. Like I said, Dom's gone. And Mia," he shifted his eyes to look at the floor.

"And Mia what?"

"Tran," Vince's eyes became filled with rage. 'If Tran has touched her, I will kill him?', he thought. "Tran and Lance came by before, to Torettos house. They shot at the place. Jesse got hit, Mia was with him when I last saw her. I went after them, Trans dead. Dom, he…I don't know where Mi is now."

"Jesse's dead." Any colour that was left lingering, clinging to his face had now completely drained. His family had been decimated, he was stuck in this hospital and the only person who was with him was the one guy who had made things worse. He let his head fall on to his pillow.

* * *

"So its sorted. You take Dom to our aunts house, Lou not Nona, and stay there. Just come up with a reason. We haven't seen her in a while, but she is one of the few who people don't know he is connected to. I will stay with Letty. As soon as she is well enough, we are out of here." Mia explained to Leon. Dom, his eyes not leaving Letty's peacefully sleeping body, shook his head.

"I'm not leaving her. Not again."

"Dom, we don't have much of a choice. You are wanted, if not now then as soon as Brian gets back to them. I can cover for Letty."

"He let me leave didn't he? I can't leave Letty again." Mia walked over and perched beside her brother. She looked at her friend, lying in the bed.

"So, are you gonna take her to prison with you then? Because if you don't get out of here, that's where you will end up. You left the Supra at Leon's. They'll work from that. You have to leave here." Dom reluctantly took his eyes from the bed, "The sooner, the better." Mia paced the room, her exhaustion replaced by frustration. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement from the bed. A soft moan left Letty's mouth.

"Letty, Letty, you're awake." Dom whispered as he saw her eyes flicker open. There was a moments pause before she smiled at Mia, grimacing as she felt the pain in her face. Mia returned the smile. She turned to escort Leon out of the room.

"I think they need to talk for a while."

Letty turned to look at Dom. She could see the pain in his eyes. Yeah, she was annoyed that he had left her, but she understood now more than ever that he loved her.

"I'm not letting you go. I'm sorry." Letty blinked back a tear.

"Don't say anything. I know, I get it. You have to go with Leon though. Your sister is right. You know she is. She always is. Remember she got the brains."

"And I got the beauty." Dom looked at her. She sighed. His attempts at flattery were lost on her. She knew he could never let her go, and that line was beyond tacky.

"Oh, and Letty Toretto. Something you need to tell me." Dom looked at the bed below him with a smirk.

"First thing that came to my head. Besides I thought you were asleep. Got a nice ring to it though, don't you think?" Letty raised her eyebrow and gently shook her head.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't get any ideas. And mainly, I just needed to close my eyes. I was tired of seeing peoples pitying eyes." Even in her bed ridden state, Dom knew she was always gonna be the same Letty.

He stared at her, realising how much he would lose if he lost her, "Dom, you have to leave. I'll be here for a few days minimum. By that time the cops will be all over you. Just go. Me and Mia will be fine. Vince and Jesse can take care of themselves, and we can find them later." He stared at her. The memory of seeing his friend dead came back, "Yo, Dom. What's up?"

"Jesse's dead, Let. Tran killed him." Dom wished he didn't have to tell her, not whilst she was in here. There was no other time though. He could see her recoil in shock and pain. "Everything will be fine, baby. I love you." Twice in one day, she felt honoured.

He kissed her gently, trying not to inflict anymore pain on her. He wandered out the room, looking behind him as he went. He knew that it would be a while before they saw each other properly.

The car pulled out of the hospital car park. Leon was thankful for small mercies. He had never got round to selling his mum's car, and they had never got round to making it race worthy, so it had just been sitting in the garage since she passed away. It was the one car that did not tie them back to the high jacking.

They jumped onto the freeway and made their escape to Lou Morales' house. It had been years since Dom had descended on his aunts house. After their mother had died, they had drifted from her side of the family. When his Dad died, they had a brief reunion, but it had pretty much been Dom and Mia against the world since. Well, Dom, Mia and the team.

"You all right, bro?" Leon asked. He knew the answer but the silence was un-nerving him.

"She'll be all right, won't she? And V, we'll get him back? Its going to be all right?" Leon looked at his passenger. Nodding reassuringly, he smiled. In the back of his mind though, there was this lingering doubt that someone, something would not let that happen.


	3. Reunited

Chapter 3

Three Weeks Later 

"Mia, come on, lets go. Time's a-ticking." Letty hollered from her car. She was anxious to get on the road. She felt the steering wheel in her hands. It felt good to be back in a car even if it was some shtty little rental.

"All right, I'm coming." Mia yelled as she slammed the door of Leon's house behind her.

The time between the high jacking had dragged and things were still up in the air. Letty had been released from hospital later than expected. Two weeks after she was admitted, she finally managed to experience fresh air again. The two had been hiding out at his place for the past week. They had been warned against going back to anything related to Toretto. Leon's was the only place they knew that the cops didn't know about, or if they did, they didn't care about. Vince was still missing. The girls had been left with the task of tracking him down, but it had proven to be impossible. It was if he had just disappeared, and they knew he wouldn't have done that. He couldn't.

Mia hopped into the passenger seat and had barely closed the door before Letty was reversing it off the drive. 'For someone who is supposed to be in recovery, she's driving really fast,' Mia contemplated to herself. She didn't say anything though. Nothing came between Letty and her driving, and she trusted her even more than the guys. Anyway, it wasn't as if she had deliberately got herself side swiped. The two had become close in the last three weeks. With the boys not around, both began to understand the other more. Sure, Letty wasn't exactly the girl to exchange clothing tips and gossip with, but she was near enough a sister. Letty glanced at her. She laughed to herself.

The past three weeks had been insane, but it had been hard and she was glad Mia had stuck by her. She was also thankful that she had kept her winnings from Race Wars to herself. The money had come in handy, not least in renting the car. How they managed to stay unnoticed for so long escaped them though. Mia reasoned that Brian may have had something to do with that. Letty was less optimistic and realised that she could still be caught in a second. Speeding towards the freeway, she glanced back at the city she knew and loved. Things were going to be different now.

They reached Lous' house earlier than expected. Dom was sitting drinking a corona in the yard whilst throwing a ball for the dog. He looked morose and deep in his own world. The quietness of the rental caused him to completely miss it, as it pulled up outside. Mia jumped out and shouted to him. Spinning round to see his little sister, a big smile slowly crossed his face. He ran over to her. Letty, still sitting in the drivers seat, paused as she contemplated moving.

She was still hurting from the accident, but more than that she was worried about seeing Dom. For no logical reason, she felt as if things might have changed between them. Finally mustering the strength, she got out.

"Letty, finally." Dom went to embrace her. Completely forgetting about her injury, she allowed him to grip tightly. Seeing her wince, he released his hold, "Come in and meet the rest of the family."

After the brief introductions, where Letty met the Morales tribe, she sat down with Dom, Mia and Leon in the yard.

"So what now?" She asked. "We still don't have Vince back. The cops are still looking for you. I doubt there just going to give up on us. Mia, maybe you should go back. You're not involved. Not directly anyway." Mia shot her a look

"No, I want to stay."

"Dom, some input maybe?" Leon asked, as he turned to his friend

"We leave, we go to Mexico." Letty and Leon scoffed.

"Are you serious? Don't you think that they will be on the border waiting for you to do exactly that? Besides, with what money? We're pretty much broke." Letty shouted, slightly louder than anticipated, "Your accounts are frozen. I have very little. Leon has the," She paused and turned to her friend, "the house."

"No way, not a chance. They would jump on it in a second. Lets not make it too easy for them here." Letty shook her head. She knew he was right. Even if they didn't know who's house it was, it would take too long. They needed money fast. The last high jacking had taken away their major income boost. Sure they had some money from the previous ones, but that was pretty much all tied up with the house and garage.

She stood up and walked back towards the house. Dom followed soon after. He placed his arm around her shoulder, making her stop in her tracks. Her hand gently rose to grab his as he lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. For a moment, she forgot where she was, she forgot that her chest still hurt every breath she took, she forgot that they were on the run. In that moment, just standing there, she knew she still had Dom and nothing would change that.


	4. In Tune

A/N: Two chapter updates today as both are very short. Keep the reviews coming. I am glad you are liking this.

Chapter 4

His aunts house was a fair size, but was still struggling to comfortably sleep four extra bodies. Mia was bunked up with her cousin, Leon was sleeping in the garage. As Letty lay down to sleep on the makeshift bed in the living room, she thought back to just a month before.

Everything had seemed so easy for them. The team were one, the shop and garage were seeing that they didn't go hungry, and everything was fine. More than fine, everything was pretty much perfect. Dom had said, just one more and it will be all over. The mother load. The big pay day. 'And this is where it has got us?' She surmised as she carefully rolled on to her side and drifted off.

She felt a hand slide round her waist. Stirring, she turned to see Dom's face staring back at her own.

"Not tonight. Not for a while. Breathing is hard enough." Dom smiled. It had been a while since the two of them had been completely alone. She couldn't help but smile back. There was something in his eyes that had changed. He had grown up so much more in the last few weeks.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to be with you. I have missed you so much. The number of times I have gone to get in the car to drive down and see you. Leon was growing tired of stopping me." She giggled delicately. The swelling and bruises in her face had subsided enough that laughing was no longer the pain it had been, "I have never been as scared as when your car got hit. All the time, I was struggling to get Vince off that truck, I was scared that Leon was going to come back and you would be dead."

She placed a finger on his lips. Rising gently from her bed, she brought his face closer. Her lips slowly set themselves down upon his. As they parted, she tasted his sweet, intoxicating breath. A mix of corona and well, just him. She was sure there was a hint of gasoline vapour in there too.

"I've missed you." She said as she pulled back, "Spending three weeks with the other Toretto was fun, but she sure as hell didn't make me feel like this." Dom smirked at her as she slowly guided his hand down her body. As he slipped his hand inside, she felt the overwhelming rush of sexual tension release in an instant. She helped him cautiously lift her top over her head, discarding it to one side.

He slowly tended to her injuries, laying kisses on every cut that remained, every bruise that tainted her glowing skin, making sure that he didn't cause her any more pain. Letty looked down at her man as he traced his mouth around her body. She gently closed her eyes and let herself become lost in him.

* * *

The sun was streaming through a gap in the curtain. Catching Letty directly in her face, she turned away from it. Her eyes opened gingerly. 

The night before had been so intense. She had forgotten just how much her and Dom were in tune with each other. Sure there had been others for both of them and it didn't take too much for one to piss the other off, but who didn't enjoy make up sex. She knew that no-one else could make her feel the way he did, even in the simplest ways. The things he could do with his hands and his mouth, 'oh and his mouth', she thought to herself.

Scanning the room for movement, she caught sight of the clock. It was only 7am. She hadn't been awake that early for a while. Being stuck in a hospital, and then a fugitive from the law, she had taken to sleeping a lot. At least when you are asleep, its harder to get into trouble, she reasoned.

Standing up from her bed, she picked up her top and slipped it over her tiny frame. Wandering over to the kitchen, she reached into the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. Lou had made them feel so welcome the previous day, and had basically given them a free run of all her amenities. As she was taking her first sip of the cool, white liquid, she noticed that the bed was empty.

"Dom?"


	5. The Quiet Things No One Ever Knows

A/N Just to clarify something. Yes, this is Moving On from MRU. My friend suggested I post it here. Also I intend to follow this up with a sequel. There have been a few minor adjustments, but mainly to grammer and the way things are phrased. None have been made to the storyline. Thank you for your reviews. I really appreciate them.

Hopefully no one will be confused by this chapter, but it does jump back and forth in time. (The same with subsequent chapters) Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 5

Three Years Later

He grabbed his coat and ran his hand down her back. She looked so peaceful, her hair falling in front of her closed eyes. He loved her eyes, they said so much when she didn't say a word. He knew if he had pissed her off just by the way her eyes spoke to him. He walked over to the crib and kissed his daughter on her head.

"Bye bye baby. Give mummy a kiss when she wakes up." As he left the room, he glanced at his fiancé. Despite everything, he knew he was the luckiest man alive.

Letty rolled over and stared at the crib. Maddie had begun to stir as well. Grabbing her dressing gown, she walked over and picked her daughter up.

"Hey baby. How are you this morning?" She asked as they walked towards the kitchen, "Look at that weather, Mads. That's not nice is it? I am sure daddy won't mind if we don't meet him for lunch. I need to look at the car before the weekend, anyway. You want to help me in the garage today?" She placed Madeline in her baby walker before walking over to the fridge. Grabbing a carton of OJ, she unscrewed the top and took a large gulp. Smiling at her baby girl, she was still astounded at how things had turned out.

* * *

He never did come back. When she woke up that morning to see the bed empty, she hopelessly thought that he was only gone for a short while. Maybe he had needed to clear his head, or just gone to the shops. They stayed at the Morales house for another week, waiting, hoping to hear from him.

In the end, Leon and Letty reluctantly decided to go back to LA. Going back to the city that was her life was hard when her life had been completely thrown in a spin. Still no one had heard from Vince, Jesse was dead and Dom might as well have been. Mia stayed with her aunt and transferred schools. Everything had changed in just one day.

They had received a tip-off that the case had gone cold. No one could definitively prove that it had been them who had been involved in the last high-jacking, and as they had seemed to have stopped, it became less of a priority.

After a while they slowly began to live their lives again. They moved permanently into Leon's old house, and it was hard at first. They had to separate themselves from the scene they had loved, and in a way owned. Sure, Dom was the king, but he would have been a minion without the team.

"Let, I got a job today." Leon had hollered about a week after their return, "Yeah, I'm a delivery guy for some pizza company. Its not much, but hey I get paid to drive around." She had to laugh. They were few and far between these days.

Letty had decided to give driving and cars a miss for a while. It was in her blood, and she knew that she would return to it soon enough, but for the time being, it was the one thing that kept her hanging on to the past. Well, apart from living with Leon. She took a job in an office. To this day, the reason why escapes her. It was as far removed from her previous life as possible, but maybe a bit too far. Letty and the office didn't really see eye to eye. So it wasn't long before she decided to leave. Get out before she was fired, she explained to Leon.

The two of them kept in touch with Mia. Letty was so proud of her girl when she was given a full scholarship to some college on the east coast. Dom was right, she didn't belong in their world, she deserved so much more than what their life offered. It had been over four months since the ill-fated high jacking but slowly everything was beginning to return to some semblance of a normal life.

"Letty, get the door would you." Leon shouted from the kitchen. He was up a ladder, paint brush in one hand, can of paint in the other. Letty wandered in from the back yard and laughed at the sight of Leon being all practical, "What, it needed a lick of paint and I doubt you would have got round to it."

"Look around you, the whole house needs a lick of paint." She laughed as she strolled to the front door.

Pulling it back, she nearly fainted at the sight in front of her, "You're kidding me?" Leon had decided to be nosy and follow behind. As he saw what Letty had seen, his face contorted from normal to bemused to overt happiness.

"My, my, my, if it isn't the old coyote himself."

* * *

Letty stared at the photo on her fridge and laughed. Leon was there, holding Vince in a headlock. She was standing, unimpressed on the sidelines, with Maddie in her arms. She was happy that the boys were still around. The phone began to trill.

"Hello," Letty began to beam as she heard the old familiar voice.

"Hey girl. How are things?" Mia asked

"Good good, how you livin'? Its been a while since you've called. Everything all right?" She pulled the phone from her ear slightly, "Maddie, its Mia. Ha ha, she always lights up when I say your name."

"Awww, I can't wait to see her again. I still can't believe how maternal you are. Anyway, I was wondering. I am coming back next week, coming by to see my aunt. Do you want to pop round and we can have a little reunion? You, Mads and John, me, Vince and Leon. I haven't seen you all in so long, plus I have some news for you all." Letty was intrigued but knew the answer immediately.

"Yeah, we're there. When exactly?" She jotted the details down on her hand before Mia made her apologies and had to hang up. Sitting down in front of Maddie, Letty smiled. "Hey baby, we're off on a road trip. I wonder what this news is?"


	6. No Better Place

A/N: Ok, so after saying that nothing major would change, I (with the help of Sweetest Addiction and Ames449) decided that it deserved to be meated out a bit and to slow down the proceedings. Therefore, though the basic storyline will remain the same, the way it gets to its conclusion will be different from how it occurs in Moving On, which is posted at MRU.

Special thanks to the two girls. Ames449 for putting up with my endless ramblings and being a great beta, and Sweetest Addiction for providing a firm kick up the behind and making me realise that this story was lacking. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Its a lot of backstory, flashbacks being in _italics._

Chapter 6

John walked in the living room and slumped onto the black leather couch. Letty was sitting in front of him playing with their daughter.

"Let, is everything all right?" He asked, his hand gently stroking her back.

"Yeah, everything is fine. Why would you ask?"

"Its just, I get the feeling something is amiss, not quite right, you know. I see it in your eyes, its like you are searching for something. You know you can trust me, babe."

Letty looked up from Maddie, and glared at him.

"I do trust you." She questioned him as she held up her ring finger. The light clipped off the petite diamond in her engagement ring, "Doesn't that say something? I love you, but you knew when we got together that there were some things that I want, I need to keep solely mine. It is all in the past now, and I am with you and Maddie, and you two mean more to me than anyone else has ever done." She felt a twinge in her stomach.

John was right, there was something missing. As she played with her daughter she knew something wasn't quite right but she couldn't put her finger on it. The whole situation was foreign, almost as if she was living someone else's life.

"Baby, promise me that one day you will tell me, that you will let me in to your world completely, that you will tell me everything. I will always be here for you. I love you too much to lose you. I'm not letting you go." Letty felt a jerk of emotion. It was if she had heard it before. Dismissing it, she carried on playing.

Leon grabbed a corona from the fridge, smirking at the various pictures that covered it. He reached for the bottle opener and cracked open his drink. Holding his cell phone between his ear and his shoulder, he sipped back.

"Why do you have to go this weekend?" Charlie shouted down the phone. Her voice could be heard by Letty who was on the other side of the kitchen. She motioned to Leon to hand her the phone.

"Hey, hi, Charlie is it?" Knowing full well who she was, and how much she hated her, "Yeah, Charlie. The reason it's this weekend is because Mia organised it and in the scheme of things, Mia is far more important to Leon than a skank like you will ever be. So step off bitch." She calmly said before hanging up.

"You know you just cost me a f…" Letty stared at him then looked at Maddie. Quickly apologising, Leon smirked before heading outside. He grabbed Maddie's carry cot and walked towards the car.

"John, hurry up, we have to go." She shouted, making sure that Leon was outside, "Mia wants us there by mid afternoon and we still have to pick up Vince." John stumbled out of their room, pulling his jacket round him.

They piled into the large blue people carrier, a necessary evil that Letty had begrudgingly given into but one that she refused to drive unless it was essential. Sitting in the back with Maddie, she tickled her feet. It was amazing how quickly she had grown. Only six months earlier, she had been this beautiful new born with a flop of jet black hair. Now she was this gorgeous little girl who was the spitting image of Letty. Sure, she had Johns green eyes, and she was probably going to be tall like her father, but everything else was a mini version of Letty.

* * *

_Letty burst through the door with so much energy she could have powered the Hoover Dam._

"_Leon, V, I got a job. And I may be able to get you two in there as well." She hollered to the boys. They were furiously trying to outdo each other on the Playstation._

"_That's great, Let. Where? You're going down fucker!" Vince shouted. She walked in front of the TV to the dismay of the boys. _

"_Well, it took a lot of convincing, and its on the other side of town. A small family run garage. The guy is called Ollie, and anyway, I've got a trial run, but it looks promising." Leon, having thrown his controller to the floor in a hissy fit, stood up and embraced Letty, "I start tomorrow. You guys wanna beer to celebrate?" They looked at her in amusement, wondering why she had even bothered to ask._

_It was four days into her new job and Letty was busy searching for a replacement bulb,_

"_So, how long have you worked here?" He asked as he drummed his fingers on the counter. Letty looked up at him, and immediately stared at his magnificent green eyes. For the first time in a long while, she was taken aback._

"_Erm, nearly a week. Ollie has me on a trial run at the moment." _

_John knew she was new. He had one of those unfortunate cars that would break at the slightest thing, but he refused to sell it. He had the garages number on speed dial, and would make a trip there at least once a month. Standing in front of this beautiful woman, he suddenly reasoned that maybe his car wasn't so unlucky after all. Letty booked the car in and asked for his keys._

"_I'll give you them, if you go out with me. Just for a drink." Letty stared at him, unimpressed. She was tired of guys hitting on her just because she was the only woman at the garage. _

"_Ha, yeah. Just give me the keys." She snapped, before whipping the keys out of his hand. He left with his tail between his legs. _

"_Letty, you have to be a bit more gentle when you let them down." Ollie laughed as he entered the room. It was the fourth guy in as many days that had come on to her and she had dismissed, "Oh, and you can stay. The stuff you have done in the last couple of days has impressed everyone. You've even successfully shown up most of the guys, so consider yourself a part of the team." _

_Letty smiled before he came by to give her a congratulatory handshake. She pulled him in for a hug. It had been a while since things had been looking this positive and she just wanted to share it with someone. Ollie laughed as he wandered back onto the forecourt._

_It felt so good to be working with cars again. The reminders of everything she had gone through with the team, and especially Dom, were always there. Yet, she knew that she would always work with cars. She didn't know anything else. Her days slowly began to pick up again. Leon and Letty had let Vince move in with them. _

_They questioned him about where he had gone and how he managed to evade the police. For some reason he only gave vague answers, and for them, that was enough. They were just glad to have him back. His arm had been badly scarred, and he always struggled when he had to use it for too long. It became his usual excuse for doing very little in the house. The three of them had decided to work on fixing up the house as they weren't about to leave it in a hurry. _

"_I miss it, V. I want back in." Letty mused as she dragged the paintbrush along the wall of Leon's bedroom. Vince stared at her for a moment, before realising she was talking about racing. A grin suddenly spread across his face._

"_I thought you would never come round." She laughed as she flicked some paint residue on to him from her brush. _

_Within a month, she had made the garage her second residence. The guys she worked with weren't her old team, but they were a team and she soon fitted in nicely. It was a slow Tuesday morning, when the green eyed guy came back in. _

"_You again?" She remarked, her tone lightened slightly from their previous encounter. _

"_Yeah, that pile of junk isn't working again. Can you get Ollie to look at it, he seems to have the Midas touch." Letty smiled, before walking out to the car._

"_Mind if I have a look?" He shrugged and handed her the keys. Within five minutes she had fixed the problem, and the car was purring like a kitten. _

"_Cheers, that was easy. What did you do?" He asked, stunned. _

"_If I told you, you wouldn't keep coming back." The guy followed her back into the garage. He smirked._

"_And what, you would miss me?" Letty stopped, turned and smirked_

"_Yeah, sure. Don't flatter yourself. Your payments maybe, but not you. No, its probably gonna act up like that, and there is nothing you can really do. Why don't you think about changing it?" The guy looked at his car. Letty was convinced a tear came to his eye. _

"_I couldn't do that. Its part of the family." He paused for a second before changing his train of thought, "So, what's your name?"_

"_Letty." She said as she ducked under the counter to get a receipt. _

"_Letty? What's that short for?" He scoffed. Staring at the guy, she took a moment to contemplate her next move. She knew knocking him out would probably cost her the job, but he was trying her patience. _

"_Letty, Letty is short for Letty. Nothing more, nothing less." _

"_Nice." He smiled affectionately at her, "Unusual, but nice."_

_Despite her dismissive tone, there was something about this guy that made her think twice. It had been a while since anyone had actually come back for more. Maybe it was the fact that everyone on the scene knew her as Dom's girl and no one would dare come near her on pain of death. Here was a guy who knew nothing about her. Hell, until two minutes ago he didn't even know her name. She scribbled a number on a piece of paper. _

"_Here's my number. I finish at 6 tonight. Give us a call later, and maybe we can go for that drink. By the way, what's your name?" The guy was about to walk out the door. Looking over his shoulder, his face beaming like a Cheshire cat, he shouted back to her._

"_John, its John."

* * *

_

The people carrier pulled in front of Lou's house, and four dishevelled and hot people got out, one handling a baby carrier. Leon knocked at the door, and was soon greeted by an over-enthusiastic Mia.

"It's so good to see you." She exclaimed as she threw her arms around Leon. He looked a little overwhelmed at the youngest Toretto's excitement. Vince, who still held a place for Mia, strolled in behind them, a little disgruntled at the whole scene.

Letty was struggling with Maddie when John came behind her. He took the carrier out of her hand and placed his other hand round her waist. She looked up at him, and smiled. She liked it here, where she was in her life. Everything had radically changed, but she liked it even if sometimes it did feel foreign. For years her life had been heading down a certain road. It was straight and fast and she didn't really know where it would lead them. The high jacking episode had thrown a corner into the stretch. Suddenly they were on a residential road, things moving a little slower except for those little sections where you can put your foot down.

As they walked into the house, her eyes adjusting to the dimness inside, she heard Leon in the kitchen.  
"Mia, are you fucking crazy? Why now? You know she's happy, why put this on her?"


	7. Rip Her To Shreds

A/N: Sorry this chapter was a little slow in coming, and quite short. I went away for the weekend and have had annoying things like degree work to sort out. Again, thank you for the reviews. Chapter 8 should be up tomorrow. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7

Letty was confused at all the commotion in the kitchen. If it wasn't for Maddie needing a change she would have been in there sooner.

"I'll be back in a minute. Someone needs to be changed." Letty laughed as she went towards the bathroom. A few minutes later she exited with her baby girl smiling contentedly in her arms. There was an unusual tension in the house.

John was standing with his back towards the window, staring at someone or something in the kitchen. His face, though it was not unhappy, was certainly registering some sort of grievance. Aunt Lou was sitting in the chair next to where John was standing and Mia was near to the kitchen door. She noticed Letty entering the room and made a less than obvious cough. Leon and Vince were propped up against one of the walls. With their conversation having been suddenly silenced, they looked directly at Letty.

"Hey girl, how ya living? Sorry about that but Maddie needed to be changed. I hope you didn't mind me using the bathroom. So, what's this news?" By the time she had asked, she had rounded the corner and had a clear view of the kitchen. The colour drained from her face. Standing in front of her was the answer.

"Hey Letty." Dom said in his trademark growl. Letty could not believe what she was hearing, nor what she was seeing in front of her. There was the man she had loved, had given herself to, who had disappeared without a trace for three years, leaving everyone to pick up the pieces and all he had to say was, hey. She looked at him, before turning round and leaving the house.

She could make out some noise as she hurtled out of the door, but none of it mattered. Everything began to make sense. Despite Mia being happy for her and John, she could always sense that she wanted her with Dom, as if somehow she knew that he would return one day. The sudden phone call after a few months of nothing. The fact that they had come back to this place, the place where three years ago he had left in the middle of the night without a word. But why now? And why when she knew that she was happy with John and especially with Maddie?

She had reached the end of the street by the time she realised she couldn't go any further. Not that it wasn't physically possible for that was not the case. Emotionally though, she was tired of people running and she was determined not to be one of them. Letty walked a little further down the road and came across a small grass verge. She sat down with Maddie still in her arms.

It wasn't long before she spotted Mia walking towards her.

"I'm sorry. I should have thought." Letty looked at her, and tried to snarl. It was lost though. She could see the genuine remorse in Mia's eyes.

"To say you are so clever, you don't half lack some common sense. When did you know he was back?"

"About two weeks ago. Out of nowhere he called Aunt Lou and she gave him my number. He didn't think he could come back, but I convinced him everything would be fine." Letty wanted so much to hit Mia, mainly to knock some sense into the girl but she resisted. The two girls sat looking at the road in front of them, neither one of them wishing to speak.

Mia knew that her decision had not been the wisest she had ever made, but she had to do it. In the back of her mind, Dom was supposed to be with Letty. Even if that was just as friends, Dom and Letty needed each other in their lives. They had always had a strange relationship. Mia had always known they would end up together at some point, and when they did it was like Mount Vesuvius exploding. Fiery, temperamental but in its own unique way, a thing of wonder. They wouldn't so much have blistering rows, as spend days on end scowling at each other from across the garage forecourt. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of the Toretto household, when they eventually decided to be civil to one another, everyone was made all too aware of it.

"How much does John know?" Letty finally spoke, directing a gaze towards Mia. Mia shrugged. "I have hardly told him a thing. He knows that Dom is your brother, that we dated for a while, and that he went away. He doesn't know about the crap that happened, about the fact that I nearly died, that I have basically hidden this huge chunk of my life from him."

"Then, he doesn't know that. We haven't told him anything. But I think your reaction told him more than you could have ever said. Put it this way, I think he realises now that you and Dom didn't just date for a while, that there is something deeper between you two." Maddie put her hands on top of Letty's. She smiled at her with such warmth that Mia couldn't help but smile too.

"Do you ever think what would have happened if Maddie was Dom's?"

"Mia, that is physically impossible. Mad's only six months old. I haven't seen your brother in over 3 years." Mia shook her head.

"No, I meant if you had had a baby with Dom." Letty stared at her, frowning at the suggestion.

"I can't think like that because he took that all away when he left." Letty stood up and took her daughters hand in hers, "Lets go see daddy, eh?"

* * *

_Dom walked over to Letty as she put away some tools. He loved how she had to stretch to reach the top shelf, her top rising slightly displaying that amazing body of hers. It was the only time she looked pitiful, and it made him laugh that she refused to ask for help. She had just pushed them on the shelf far enough for them to stay there when he grabbed her round the waist. It had been a long day, and the guys had left early. _

_She turned round and smirked. _

"_You know I will never ask for help." He kissed the top of her head before moving his hands down to the hem of her oil stained top. Gently lifting it up over her head, he felt the heat emanate between their bodies. _

"_I know you won't. You're too stubborn." _

_His lips slowly moved above hers. Parting them with his tongue, she felt herself melt. He was the only man who had ever had the ability to reduce her to some cliché. Not that she was going to admit it any time soon. His hands began to move down her body. Not letting him get away with taking full advantage of her, she undid his boiler suit, and pulled it down past his waist, guiding her hand into his boxers. Every time they were alone together in the garage, work was somehow put on hold. _

_He undid the zip on her trousers and pulled them down. Before long the two were on the sofa in the corner. Her hands caressed his head as he kissed her neck. His mouth moved down her toned body, that was ever so slightly covered in a sweet layer of sweat. He gently slid inside her, and knew instantly the motion was not lost. As she felt him penetrate her deeper, her body slowly let go. _

_Taking her face in his hands, he just stared at her. Every other girl he had been with in the past had never come close to comparing to Letty. He regretted wasting his time with the others, but in a way it made him appreciate her so much more. His tongue was slowly manipulating hers, increasing the intensity between them. Dom pulled her closer and he let his fingers intertwine through her hair. A delicate mix of her perfume, traces of engine oil, and the faint subtlety of the coconut moisturiser, that she applied to her hands every morning, traced its way up his nose. He would never let that unmistakable scent escape him. _

_He stroked the hair from her face as she looked at him,_

"_We have to go home soon. Mia said she was going to cook chilli tonight." Letty spoke softly. Dom smiled. _

"_I can't wait until we have kids." Letty stared at him bewildered. 'How did he go from Mia cooking to that?', she thought to herself, "Not yet, of course, but in a few years."_

"_Yeah, in a few years." Letty laughed, rolling her eyes. "So how many do you intend on having?"_

"_Two, maybe three. Definitely at least one girl." Letty stroked his face before kissing him, "In a few years though." _


	8. Walking After You

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Life got in the way. Chapter 9 should definately be up tomorrow. Oh, and keep the comments coming, good or bad, its nice to hear what you think of it.

* * *

Chapter 8

She walked back into the house and saw the boys talking to each other. None of them looked particularly happy with the conversation. Dom was resolute in his posture, telling an all too knowing Letty that this guy was walking a thin wire. In his presence, very few could hold their own. John was not one of those few. In comparison he looked like a small child.

"Do you want me to look after Madeline?" Lou asked, motioning to take her from Letty's arms. She shook her head and walked towards the table they were sitting at. Pulling up a chair, she deliberately placed it closer to John.

"So, I guess you two know each other." Her eyes flitting between Dominic and John. The tension at the table was palpable, "Dom, this is Maddie. I figure you were all ready aware of her though." Dom nodded, before glancing at his sister. Mia slowly retreated into the kitchen to join Vince and Leon.

"Letty, I was telling Dom how we hoped to go to Miami in the summer. I have relatives there and,"

"John, can you give us some time alone?" Letty didn't so much ask as demand. Her gaze was fixed on her old love. "We have to talk." She gently passed Madeline to John and walked outside into the bright sunshine.

After a short while, Letty stopped at a bench on the opposite side of the street. She thought about moving further away for a second, further from the possibility of being watched but she decided this would be far enough. Dom placed himself next to her, careful not to go too close. Even the marked distance between the two of them wasn't enough to stop the strange sense of longing in her stomach.

"Why?" She didn't have to say anything more to see that he knew how much he had hurt her. Her eyes told him everything he ever needed to know about the suffering he had inflicted on her. It was a side he had wished he would never see in her, the hurt and pain she felt.

"I panicked. I was overwhelmed and I panicked and I didn't think." Letty scoffed, "I know I didn't think. But I have been spending the last 2 and a half years just thinking. Thinking about what I have thrown away." Letty was staring into the distance. As much as she wanted to know what had been going on in his head, it just served as a reminder of everything he had put her through.

"You said the last two and a half years. You've been gone for over three." She glared at him, the anger she felt piercing through him, "What, did you spend the first six months being really content and happy with your decision?"

"No, I spent those months just moving round from place to place. I didn't know what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be, but I knew I couldn't stay here. I couldn't put you all through what would have happened had I stayed." He caught sight of the ring on her finger, "Its not like you waited around for me for long though."

"That is not fair!" Letty shouted with more anger than she thought was possible. She stood up and walked away from him. Dom looked at the ground in front of him, hesitating for a moment, before he finally followed her. "Just don't. I had to move on. I couldn't spend my entire life waiting for the day that you might come back, the day when I could finally see you again. You left, without telling anyone, left us to think the worse, spending days, weeks, months even, thinking you had died, not knowing whether we would get a call." She stopped and stared at him.

"You left us to deal with the mess that you had created. And you think you didn't put us through shit? That's fucked up. Look Dom, its great that you are back. Mia is really happy, and the guys will no doubt have a great time catching up with you. But Maddie and John are the most important things in my life and I will not let you ruin that." Dom stared at her confused. 'How am I going to ruin that?', he thought to himself.

* * *

"_Yo Letty, you sure about this?" Leon asked after she told him her news. Her face beamed when she thought about her decision, "I mean, he makes you happy, that's obvious. But its only been nine months since Dom left, and I mean, the guy doesn't know the first thing about cars." _

"_Surely the fact that he makes me happy should be enough for you. And Dom is not coming back, I can't spend my life living for his return that may never come. He is my past now, something that happened." Leon shrugged hesitantly before giving his girl a huge bear hug. Despite having only been with John for little over three months, she knew that getting married to him was the right decision. _

_Their first date had shown her that he was nothing like Dom, and at that point, it was everything she needed. _

"_So, why haven't I seen you around before?" He asked as they began drinking their fifth round. He was on Coors Lite, she was knocking back Corona._

"_Guess I've been hiding." Letty laughed, nervously tracing her finger around the top of the bottle, knowing that she could never tell him just how true that statement was. He smiled at her, and remarked that he loved her laugh. _

_Blushing like a schoolgirl, she playfully hit his arm. She hated corny remarks, but there was something satisfying in having someone who was giving her all his attention. It had reached the point in their relationship that Dom hardly made the effort, didn't feel the need to. _

_Their date was followed by a few more before Letty decided to sleep with him. The sex was good and he was attentive. It disturbed her though that for the first few times all she could think of was Dom, the way he would dominate her in such a subtle but sexy manner. John was good, but she missed the excitement. It wasn't long though before she realised that John was the one guy who wouldn't hurt her. He seemed incapable of doing such a thing. There was a safety net quality about the guy. Yes, he was at times a little boring but he was what she needed. _

_Leon and Vince had noticed right away that she commanded his attention just by entering the room. He was like a puppy dog with her, but not one that she could completely control. He adored her, made her feel as if no one in the world mattered, but they were equals. When he proposed, she was shocked, but ecstatic. After a moments pause, she said yes and he slipped the ring on to her finger. _

_The wedding still hadn't happened though. For some reason, every time they decided on a date, fate stepped in to stop them. The first attempt was disturbed when John fell from the attic of their new home, breaking his leg. Their second attempt almost came to fruition when Ollie, a man that Letty had come to see as a second father, died from a heart attack. Both felt it would be inappropriate to have the wedding so soon after the funeral._

_After Ollie had died, Letty had come to own the garage. She had proven herself so sufficiently that it seemed the natural choice. By this time, Leon and Vince had managed to get jobs there too, thanks to a little help from Letty. _

_It was two weeks before her third attempt at marrying John. Leon and Letty had decided to go to the races whilst Vince fawned around his new girlfriend. They had established themselves on the scene again, and though they weren't there as regularly as previous, they always owned it when they showed up. _

"_Letty, come on." Leon hollered from the bottom of the stairs. She hadn't shown up at work all day. When he didn't hear a reply, he became anxious. Wandering into the bathroom, he found Letty with her head over the toilet bowl, "Woah girl, what's up?" He asked as he pulled her hair away from her face. She looked up to display her eyes that were surrounded by a stunning red rim and watering profusely. Her face was lacking in any colour and had an oh-so-attractive layer of sweat covering it._

"_I dunno. I've spent nearly all day in this effing bathroom. When I am not throwing up I feel like I could at any second, I just want to sleep and I have this weird craving for lime flavoured Jell-O." Letty started heaving again. Directing his glance away from his sick friend before she was sick again, Leon began smiling to himself. After she had finished emptying the contents of her stomach, he looked at her, trying to figure out whether she had any idea what was wrong with her. He was confused that she didn't seem to understand what this could mean._

"_You ever think you could be pregnant?" Letty, slowly wiping the tears from her eyes then cleaning up her mouth, paused._

"_Oh."_

"_John, can we wait a little while longer. We have waited this long and I would love for our baby to be involved in someway." Letty asked as they came to terms with the news. He looked hesitantly, thinking about the cost involved in postponing another wedding. Staring back at his fiancé, he could do nothing but smile. _

"_Yeah, why wouldn't we?"

* * *

_

"Letty," Dom shouted as she headed further away from the house. He realised she wasn't going to stop just because he had asked her to so he quickened his pace. He grabbed her arm, "Letty listen to me."

"Why Dom? Why should I?" She was fighting back her tears. She refused to let him see her cry, "Dom, I trusted you with everything and you just threw that back in my face. You asked me if I would stick by you, and then YOU left. You left me, all of us, to struggle whilst you disappeared. Why did you even bother to come back?" He could feel the venom in her remarks.

There was nothing he could say that she would accept. Letting go of her arm, he turned and walked back towards the house.


	9. A Modern Way of Letting Go

Chapter 9

Mia was talking to Lou when Dom trudged back into the house. His mood immediately saw the entire room clam up in apprehension. He knew that he had done wrong, but he had hoped that Lettys reaction wouldn't have been so vitriolic. Silence descended on the room.

Vince, who was trying to educate John about the finer points of engines, looked up at his old friend. It was the first time he had seen him properly since he had been air lifted to hospital. Both had changed dramatically, both in appearance and character, but he still felt the brotherly bond that had seen him come back to the Torettos numerous times despite their spats.

He stood up from the table and walked over to Dom.

"I didn't say it before, but I've missed you, brother." He said quietly. The tension in the air slowly dissipated, and everyone began to talk again.

"Hey, I think I should go look for Letty." John said after a short while. Vince shook his head and handed him another beer.

"Letty, she is stubborn, going after her after this would be suicidal on your part. Surely you have experienced one of her moods." Leon laughed from the other side of the room, "She'll come back when she is ready." John wasn't convinced but he had come to trust the boys, and despite still being in the dark about most of the days proceedings he decided to continue to look blankly at Vince as he went back to explaining cars.

* * *

It had been about an hour before Letty wandered into the house. Leon looked up and noticed her first. Picking Maddie up from the floor where she had been playing, he handed her over. Letty smiled at her little girl. She knew at that moment that nothing else in the world mattered.

The things that happened with the men in her life, what had happened in the past, even being there in that moment, nothing was worth more than this. Having Maddie in her life meant so much that whatever she did had to be the right decision for both of them.

"Hey guys," She stated meekly as she went to sit on one of the chairs, "You all eaten yet?" Vince took it as a cue to grab the local takeout menu before deciding to order nearly everything on it. John placed his arm around Letty, which she gratefully received. Dom was sitting on the opposite side of the room. Part of him was happy to see Letty so obviously content, but a greater part wanted to knock John out.

"Dom, do you want to meet Maddie properly?" It felt like Letty was deliberately rubbing salt in his wounds but he obliged. As he held the infant in his arms, Letty was aghast at how natural he looked and how Maddie accepted him. Her girl was like her mother in so many ways, and taking her time to trust someone was one of those traits that they shared. Yet, here she was in the arms of a man she didn't know, and she was absolutely fine with it. Even John noticed how much at ease his daughter was.

"She likes you." He remarked. Dom could do nothing but smile at the little girl.

"I guess I just have a way with kids. I did grow up with Mia, after all." Mia threw a scornful but amused glance at her brother. Madeline yawned in Dom's arms.

"I think someone needs their bed. Come here." She said as she lifted Maddie up into her own arms.

Letty laid her daughter gently on to the bed, and switched on the night light. Lou had offered the couple her room and they had appreciatively accepted it. As she stared at her baby girl, she could feel a familiar presence behind her.

"This could have been us." She remarked knowing full well Dom was directly behind her. He was shocked that she knew it was him, realising there was still something between them. That unbreakable bond between them remained.

"I know, but I fucked up." She turned to look at him.

"Yeah, you did." Letty stated before walking back into the living room.

John slipped into the bathroom before Letty noticed him. She was shortly followed by Dom. Her words had struck him deep. All of a sudden he realised that the thing that had been missing in her life had been this guy. He sombrely walked back to the living room and placed himself next to Letty.

"You all right?" She questioned. His arm reached around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. He stared at Dom who was busily talking to Vince. John could feel the surge of jealousy infiltrate his body, "John, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are we going home tomorrow?" Letty looked up at him puzzled

"You know we are. That garage doesn't run itself and what with having the weekend off, need to get back in there as soon as." She gripped his hand to reassure him everything was fine.

"Good."

* * *

As they packed up the car to return home, Dom laughed at the mode of transport.

"What do you call this?"

"A compromise. I agreed that we would get this, on the condition that I could keep my other baby." Letty pulled out a picture from her back pocket. On it was herself and Maddie sitting in a Nissan that was almost identical to the one she had had way back when they were still together.

"You still race?" She nodded, looking at him,

"After the crash, I stopped for a while. But I need it man, the adrenaline, the rush. John's not so keen on me doing it, so I've stopped telling him. He probably knows, but at least its stopped the arguments."

"What about the guys?" He asked as he placed the bag in the trunk.

"Leon does occasionally. Vince, he tried once, only just won though. His arm is wrecked. Changing gears takes him forever. They both just let me get on with it. I was always better than them. Better than you, if I recall. " Dom laughed as he pushed the final bag into the back of the car.

"We never raced against each other."

"Is that a challenge?" She chided him, laughing. She knew they would never race against each other. It would probably be a dead heat, but neither of their prides would cope with the other winning. Dom grinned at the assertion. Looking through the rear view mirror, John felt a pang of jealousy as he looked at the two people smiling broadly. He realised there was a whole world about Letty he could never be a part of.

* * *

Within a couple of hours Letty and John were back in LA. Having dropped Vince and Leon at their house, the couple made their way home. Letty could sense that John was more settled now he was back on his territory. Although the tension between them had not completely dissipated, it was definitely a more relaxed environment to be sharing. She placed her hand over his at it rested on the gear stick.

It was nearly midnight. Maddie was asleep and her parents were curled up on the sofa.  
"John, I think I need to tell you something and I need you to just listen for a while." He nodded gently, "We met a few months after Dom left. He left under a cloud, and things were a bit difficult. Me and Dom, we were close. Closer than close. I would do anything for him, and him likewise."

"We have known each other for years, and well when I was 16, we kind of fell in love. Three years ago there was this thing. We were involved in this high jacking thing, and any way to cut a long story short, it went wrong. We lost one of our team, Jesse, and had to go on the run. Well, into hiding at least. Dom bailed on us not long. Left without a trace. I think all of us had pretty much given up on him ever returning. Can you understand my reaction on Friday now? It was a shock. More than a shock. But we have talked things though and everything seems to have been sorted." John, who had been slowly processing the information, glared at her.

"Do you want to be with him?" Letty shook her head vehemently  
"Do you still love him?" Her head shaking stopped. Without saying a word, she moved to place a kiss on his lips.


	10. You Don't Own Me

A/N: Just to say, this story is set three years after the highjackings (and therefore the film). With the film released in 2001, this means it is set in 2004 and hence the music is from that period.

Also, this chapter was so tricky to write for some reason, and I just want to thank ames449 for helping out - i.e. making me realise the first draft was a complete pile of crap. Oh, and keep the reviews coming. I love hearing what you think, good or bad. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 10

She woke to find herself still on the couch. Her head was in Johns lap, his soft breathing indicating to her that he was still asleep. She tried to remove herself from his body, but a firm arm held her in place. As she lay there, staring out of the window, she recounted the number of times she had found herself waking in this position with Dom. The times when they had failed to make it upstairs, only to wake and find a blanket covering them, placed upon them by one of the others. Usually Mia, such was her compassionate side. If Vince, or Leon, or Jesse had had their way, they would probably let them freeze. Letty heard the distant whimpering of her daughter and slowly inched her way from under John's arm. He stirred but failed to wake, much to her relief.

She wandered into Maddie's room and watched as she slept. She looked so peaceful, her arms gently raised by her ears, head titled to the left.

"Hey baby," Letty gently whispered as she stood over the crib, "What's mommy done? I blame Mia. Its all her fault." She sighed, with a small laugh. As she had slept in John's arms the previous night, all she could think of was Dom. She hated herself for being so weak. He still hadn't explained where he had been, but it was as if it didn't matter. She was just happy he was back, even if she could do nothing about it.

Letty felt an arm slide round her waist, pulling her in close.

"I wondered where you were." John cooed in her ear, "When are you leaving for work?" She glanced down at the watch on her left arm,

"In about 30 minutes. Can you look after Maddie all day today? The garage is gonna be crazy and I don't want her around in case she gets hurt and with your parents being away as well."

"Sure, you know I will. We can have a bonding session." He smiled as he looked down upon his daughter. Letty unwrapped his arm and moved towards the bathroom.

Leon was all ready under a car by the time she had arrived. He slid out from under it and smiled at her as she handed him a coffee.

"Morning, you been here long?" He shook his head as he supped back the warm drink, "Where's V?" replacing the lid on the drink, and placing it to one side, he pointed to the office where Vince was busy talking on the phone. Letty merely smiled and wandered over to him.

He glanced up from the phone with a cheery look.

"Guess who's coming to town?" Raising an eyebrow, she cocked him a smile.

"Santa Claus."

"Close. 'Cept he's lost the fat, and the beard, and the white hair, and the red suit. Dom's decided to move back to LA. Me and Le are picking him up tomorrow." Letty didn't know whether to be ecstatic or worried. She had thought that with Dom staying with Lou, her feelings for him would remain at bay. Though, it suddenly dawned on her that staying with Lou was never going to be his plan. She smiled at Vince before leaving the room.

"So Let, Dom's coming back. You all right with that?" Leon asked as he went to pick up a wrench.

"Why wouldn't I be? I guess so. Nothing I can do about it really." She surmised as she slipped under the Mitsubishi she was working on. She had barely started on it, before she heard Vince's voice booming from the office.

"Letty?" Frustrated, she slipped out into the light and walked over to him.

"You yelled?"

"Yeah, I am going to get some food. You want anything?"

"V, its barely past breakfast. Cool your horses a while, and get your ass into gear. Everyone else is working." She scanned to room to emphasise her point. Leon, Joel and Xander were all busy. Letty had reluctantly taken on Joel and Xander to cope with the extra work they were getting. They had settled in nicely, though Letty was still a bit wary about them. The last time someone new joined the garage, he turned out to be a cop. Sure they had nothing to hide now, but that uncertainty lingered. She reasoned that as long as they were working and not causing trouble, they were fine. She slapped Vince upside the head as he passed her.

As the day slowly turned into evening, Letty glanced at her watch and made her way to the exit. It was still fairly early, but all their jobs were near to complete. Her head was filled with doubt, and she wondered if Dom coming back would be a good thing or the worse thing imaginable.

"I need to see my baby girl, V. Can you lock up?" He nodded, seemingly aware of her troubles. She hopped into her car and sped off.

She returned to her home to see Maddie and John sitting on the front porch.

"You're home early." He stated as she got out of the car and wandered up to them.

"I'm the boss, I can choose." She laughed, taking Maddie from his arms. She sat down beside him and lay into his side, "Dom's coming back. He's moving in with the guys." She felt Johns body immediately tense up. As if she needed any more proof that things were going to be difficult on his return.

"When?"

"Tomorrow." John said nothing but felt the need to pull her in closer.

* * *

"Letty, is it ok if we have the afternoon off? We will make it up to you but it is quiet." Leon stated as he glanced around the garage. To say it was quiet was an understatement. Yesterday had seen them absolutely rammed, yet today there wasn't a car in the garage. Letty laughed as she glanced up from her own car's engine.

"Yeah sure. Go bring him home. And get a tissue, your nose is bleeding." She said laughing. He dragged his arm underneath his nose and was shocked at the amount of blood pouring from it. 'It hasn't been this bad for a while,' he thought as he grabbed a tissue from the roll near the door.

"Letty, it will be all right." He remarked as he turned to leave. She stared at him, trying to decide whether he meant his bleeding nose or Dom's impending return.

Once she had finished fine tuning her car, she moved into the office and took five. Cracking open a can of Red Bull, Letty slowly sipped back its contents. It was unnervingly quiet in the garage. Even the radio wasn't on. There was no jobs to be done, no one to talk to but she knew the moment she locked up, someone was bound to come. She flicked the pages of a magazine and sighed loudly.

"Fuck this."

She grabbed her keys and wandered outside. Quickly pulling across the door, Letty got into her car and set out. She didn't really know where she was going, but anywhere was better than sitting alone in the garage with no work to do. It wasn't even as if she could work on her own car anymore because it was working perfectly. As she drove, thoughts pummelled her brain like an angry boxer. Thoughts about Dom, about John, about the fact that their names were too similar, though that could work in her favour should she inadvertently say Dom's name at an inopportune moment. 'There it is again,' she mused.

The car glided effortlessly up the highway as she switched on the stereo.

'And that there was the new one from Christina Milian, Dip It Low, and is it me or is she looking really…' Letty didn't bother to find out how she was looking as she turned the dial. Some rock track that she couldn't recall began playing and immediately saw her depress the gas pedal further. Her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Jiggling in her seat to loosen it from her pant's pocket, she slid it out and answered.

"Yeah? No, I'm driving. About an hour, why? Whatever. Bye." She cancelled the call and threw it onto the seat next to her. Exhaling long and hard, she brushed a strand of hair from her face before rubbing her eye.

An hour later, she was back home. Dom was sitting in the living room sipping a corona. He smiled at Letty as she entered the room.

"Where have you been?" John called out as he saw her enter.

"I went for drive. I am allowed you know."

"You weren't at the garage and then the boys came back, and you weren't with them. I panicked." She strode over to him and playfully ruffled his hair.

"You worry too much."

The night passed in a haze of laughing and reminiscing. All of the proceedings made John feel even more excluded.

"Remember when Mia locked us all out of the house?" Vince added.

"She was so paranoid about someone coming in, she closed the door and only remembered afterward that the keys were still inside."

"Yeah, but I saved the day." Letty laughed, "There you were, Dom, yelling at her. V, Leon and Jesse had left us to it, and all I did was shimmy up the front, climbed in through our wide open window and unlocked the door. Your face was a picture."

"Yeah, all right. I didn't look." He replied as he looked at Letty. John stared at him intently, trying to size up his motives.

Vince glanced up at the clock. It was approaching three in the morning.

"Come on dawg, I think we could do with some shut eye. Boss don't want us to be falling asleep tomorrow. Leon's all ready gone." He remarked as he glanced over at his friend. There was a small wave of laughter around the room.

"Hey Dom. You want to come down tomorrow? Xander is off, and we could always use another pair of hands." He glanced at the floor, figuring how best to decline Letty's invitation.

"I think I might just settle in for a few days." Vince slapped him on the back,

"Yeah, more like be a lazy ass. Come on. Wake up sleeping beauty, would you?"


	11. The Way Things Are

Chapter 11

She gently closed the door behind them as they left. Bleary eyed, Leon unlocked the car and they all bailed in.

"Glad to be home, Dominic?" Vince asked as he turned on the stereo. Dom was looking out of the window, up towards the house they had just left. He mused quietly as Leon backed the car out of the driveway.

Within fifteen short minutes they were back at their house. Leon strolled into the house, discarded his keys to one side and headed straight up into his room. Dom looked at Vince, sighing as he did so.

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah, fine. Why you ask?" Vince questioned as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Something about him. He's never been the most talkative of people but he hardly said two words tonight, and then he falls asleep. This is the guy who can go 48 hours without even thinking of hitting the sack." Sipping back a nightcap.

"He could. He's getting old these days. We're not teenagers any more Dom. Things have changed." Dom scoffed lightly, knowing a truer statement could not have been said, "You sure you're not coming to the garage tomorrow?" He shook his head. Vince slapped him on the back and proceeded to go up to his room.

Dom looked in the fridge and laughed. It was full of beers, some mouldy looking cheese and a half empty jar of mayo. Closing it, he strolled into the living room, his mind too frenzied to even contemplate sleeping. As he sat in the darkness, he could pick up each individual noise coming from the world outside him. The random cries of a restless baby, a police siren wailing in pursuit of a car, an all too familiar sound in his ears, the general hustle bustle of a city that refused to be still.

Yet, he was calm, happy to be back with his family. His self imposed exile over. He'd come back to a changed environment, but he knew things would work out all right. His mind flipped to Letty. How happy she was with her life, her daughter, the other man. He tried to scratch his face from the mental image he had conjured, but nothing would remove that smug look. John had the one thing that had kept him going over the years, and he doubted she would come back to him any time soon. They were a family. A cherished commodity for a girl who had lost her own so early on in life. He ran his hand across his bald head and sighed. He would have always come back, but knowing she was no longer his, he might have delayed it further still. Why hadn't Leon mentioned anything? She was right though. She had to move on. He wouldn't have wanted her to spend her days pining for his return, he knew that wasn't the person she was. He loved her, but he knew the moment he fucked up, she would be off without a shadow of a doubt. She wasn't the girl that was cheated on. Reclining on the sofa further, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.

* * *

The bounding of Leon down the stairs awoke him from his slumber. He cricked his neck back into a more comfortable place, noting that sitting with it lying back on the top of the sofa was not the most ideal position to fall asleep in. Leon threw him a friendly smile.

"Thanks for taking care of her, bro." Dom smiled at him as he went to pour a glass of water, "She doesn't need to know that you knew where I was all along though."

"No worries man. Sorry about John. He just kind of slipped in. How could I say to her though that you would be coming back eventually? The number of problems that would cause." Dom shrugged. He had phoned Leon three months into his hiatus, just to check everyone was safe and well. It was before Letty had met John, but he knew he was still not going to be coming back any time soon. Dom wandered into the kitchen, before turning to his friend with a look of concern, "What?"

"Le, you're bleeding. Your nose. Here," He said before handing him a kitchen towel, "You all right?" With his head leaning forward, Leon grunted a noise that indicated he was. Dom was not entirely convinced by his protestations, "What time you going to the garage?" With one hand still pinching his nose, he looked up and said that it would be within ten minutes. Smiling, he left the room to be greeted by Vince.

"Morning." He growled, still not the best person to talk to before lunch time, "You definitely not coming down today?"

"Yeah, wisest choice ever showing up at the garage when John wants my balls for dinner." Vince stared at his friend, before giving a quick shrug, "I stay away from Letty, things will be easier for all of us."

"You can't avoid her all your life. And John's a decent guy. He knows you have a history. He'll get over it." Leon glanced at Vince, unconvinced.

"That's why he spent most of last night boring holes into my skull every time I so much as looked at her."

"Yo dawg, ain't nothing he can do about it. Its not like you want to jump her every time you see her." He stated as he looked at Dom. Even Vince couldn't believe the absurdity of the statement Leon had just made.

"Le, move it." he said, shoving his friend out of the door.

"And they call me thick as pig shit." Vince stated as he got into the car, "I think its pretty obvious they both want each other. He spent the whole goddamn night mentally undressing her." Leon scoffed, seemingly refusing to believe the statement.

"He knows she is with John, he knows she would never cheat on him, especially not when they have Maddie. He isn't likely to want to get in the way."

"When did you become a chick? Since when did any guy think with his brain? Dom's been in love with Let since she was 16. He still loves her. Even I can see that and I didn't even realise they were sleeping together until they'd been at it for three months." Leon laughed as he remembered the moment Vince found out.

* * *

_They had been at the races the night before. Letty had raced and won, naturally, and like all good traditions they had brought the party back to the Toretto's. Vince had got nicely hammered, with Leon and Jesse proving to be capable drinking partners. He had woken up with the mother of all hangovers, stumbled upstairs to the bathroom and became intrigued by the noises emerging from Dom's room. They were not the normal noises associated with one of the skanks, who sought the approval of which ever guy they were fucking. Plus, it was far too late for them to still be hanging around. Love 'em and kick 'em out, the unofficial motto for the guys. No, these were mutual noises, couple-y noises. Stalking the door a while longer, his curiosity got the better of him and he gently pushed it open._

"_Fuck Letty!" He bawled as he saw his friends naked bar a duvet covering their lower halves. _

"_He did." Letty couldn't help but laugh as she drew the duvet up further. _

"_Vince, close your eyes, turn around and come back in an hour," Dom said before looking at Letty, "Maybe two." _

_Turning to leave the room, he came face to face with Leon._

"_When?" _

"_About three months ago. You been walking around with ear muffs on?"_

"_But, its Letty?" Leon laughed and strolled off towards the bathroom, leaving Vince to ponder all he had seen. All he had seen, "You could have told me. I didn't need to see THAT much of her."_

"_Vince, piss off." He heard Letty call from the room he had just vacated. Taking heed of her, he wandered back into the living room. Jesse emerged from the back yard and stared at Vince's bewildered face._

"_You knew too?" He questioned_

"_Knew what?" Vince rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling. Jesse started laughing, "Yeah, how did you find out? Dare I ask?" _

"_There are some things a guy doesn't need to see. Like a girl he considers his baby sister ass naked in bed with his best friend."_

"_Ouch. Oh well, breakfast?" Jesse questioned as he went to wake Mia. Vince pondered for a while before conceding that at least Letty was with someone he trusted.

* * *

_

Leon pulled into the forecourt and parked,  
"So how can I see something that is so blindingly obvious, and you don't?"

"Who knows. Stranger things have happened." Leon surmised as he climbed out and walked into the garage. Vince stared at his friends back as he left the car, Dom's question resonating through his brain. There was definitely something up with him.

"You coming in or you just gonna stand staring at Leon's ass all day?" Letty chirpily interrupted, "I see Dom didn't change his mind."  
"You surprised?" Vince replied before leaving.


	12. Got To Give It Up

Chapter 12

Letty flopped onto the settee and kicked off her boots. She began to ponder how they coped when it was just the three of them, let alone the four they had today. The garage had been slammed and she had wished she had stopped Xander going to see his sick grandma, or even that Dom would have shown. She yawned before throwing her head back. As she opened her eyes they met with John's and she jumped three feet.

"Good day at work?" Letty nodded as she regained her composure, "I put Maddie down about twenty minutes ago. There is some chicken in the oven. I'll see you later."

"Where you going?" She questioned, intrigued by his sudden desire to have a social life.

"You go out, I go out. We have our own lives."

"I go round to V and Leon's. There is a difference, they're family." John looked at her before shaking his head.

"I know you still race. You don't just go round to theirs." Letty groaned as another lecture about the dangers of her weakness for speed was about to be laid thickly on her, "Look, you know I don't agree with it. I never have. But you have a daughter to think of now. How am I gonna tell her that her mom is in jail, or worse that she has killed herself?"

"Oh, come on. I've been doing this since I was 16, I'm 24 now. I think I know how to handle myself. That doesn't answer my question though."

"I am having a few drinks with some workmates. Problem?" Letty refused to rise to him. She waved him off and proceeded to switch on the television.

* * *

By 2 a.m., she was tucked up in bed, fast asleep. Her slumber was disturbed by John slamming the front door and bounding up the stairs. She rolled over so her back was to the door, too tired to be arguing with him. As he slipped under the covers, she was hit by a waft of alcohol.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, not knowing if she was awake or sleeping, but feeling that if he said it regardless it would clear his conscience.  
"Yeah?" Letty asked as she turned to look at him. His eyes were rimmed with a nice circle of red. 'Has he been crying?', she pondered.  
"Yeah. I'm sorry." John replied as he pulled her into him. She wrapped her arm around him and drifted off to sleep once more.

It felt as if she had been sleep for a mere five minutes when the alarm started screeching. She hit it with a thwack and rolled back into the arms of her man.

"So ladylike." He laughed. She dug her finger into his side.

"Can I call in sick?" John laughed even harder.  
"Why are you asking me? You're the boss. Look at it this way. Day spent under a car, getting all greasy and sweaty? Or day spent in bed, with your man, nice and clean?" She knew that she should be leaning in favour of the second option, but her mind was gravitating to the first. She conceded and rolled over to grab her cell. John placed a kiss on her forehead as she dialled the guy's number.

"V, yeah, I'm not coming in. I am being held against my will by some evil man." She laughed, "Might be in later, but doubt it. Bye."  
She threw her phone to the end of the bed and closed her eyes, hoping she could fit in a few more minutes before Maddie woke up. No such luck.

"I'll go." John murmured as he moved from under Letty's arm. She smiled contentedly and drifted off to sleep. She knew deep inside that this was going to be her life from now on. She was being foolish if she thought she could ever make it work with Dom again. They had changed so much that though the lust was there, the love had subsided. At least with John she knew the love was there. He loved her, unconditionally. He wasn't too pigheaded to let an argument run on for days on end. He admitted when he was wrong.

She figured she had been asleep for only a short while by the time he came back in.

"Lets go wake mommy up." He whispered into Maddie's ear. Setting her down on Letty's stomach, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey baby." She smiled as she sat up, one arm holding her daughter.

"You that tired? You were asleep for nearly two hours." Letty shrugged.

"Guess so. You know that vacation you were talking about? Still want to go?" John beamed at her like he had just won the lottery, "I'll take that as a yes. It will have to be in a few weeks though. Race Wars first." His smile subsided slightly at the mention of the event.

"Yeah, sure." He reluctantly added. Despite this small grievance, he was reassured by the fact that they had something to look forward to as a couple. She wasn't about to run off to Dom anytime soon, if ever.

She rose from the bed and wandered into the bathroom. Her cell rang as she left.

"Get that would you?" John placed Maddie on the bed and picked the phone off the floor where it had fell from being clumsily discarded.

"Hello? No, she's in the shower." He replied curtly, "Anything I can help with?" The caller hung up. Tossing the phone to one side again, he picked Maddie up.

Within ten minutes, Letty was out and dressed in her usual attire, a pair of cargo pants and a wife beater, her hair tied loosely at the nape of her neck.

"Who was that?"

"Wrong number. I thought you weren't going in today?" He stated, quickly diverting the subject. She climbed on to the bed.

"I'm not, but I thought we could take Mads out for some lunch. I'm starved." John nodded before drawing her closer, placing a kiss on her lips, "Come on Romeo."

* * *

It was approaching 6 p.m. by the time they returned to the abode. Having fallen asleep in the car, John carefully put his daughter to bed. Letty walked over to the phone to see the answer phone light flashing. She pressed it before traipsing into the kitchen,

'You have one new message,' It said before beeping loudly,  
"Hey Let, its me. Can you give me a call? I phoned earlier but I guess you never got the message. Its about Jesse. Yeah, ok, phone back."  
'There are no new messages.'

Letty walked over to the phone, picked it up and dialled the all too familiar number. Before she pressed the final digit, she hung up and wandered back into the kitchen. John followed shortly behind.

"I am so glad she is sleeping right through these days." He remarked jovially. He noticed immediately that Letty was annoyed, "You all right?"

"Who called this morning?" She questioned, staring him squarely in the eye.

"Like I said, wrong number." He knew that she knew he was lying, but he might as well keep up the pretence now.

"Funny, Dom called before, saying he had left a message. Obviously that was with you, because Maddie can't speak yet. Why lie?" John truly had no idea what to say. If he told the truth, she would shoot him down, and he could hardly lie when he had been caught.

"It didn't sound important and I wanted you to myself today. I thought he was gonna drag you into the garage again." Letty, whose ire was intensifying by the second, slammed the cup on to the worktop.

"He doesn't even work there. And what business is it of yours if I go into MY garage. You have seriously got to get over this. I can't change the past."

"How do you expect me to feel? He's your ex, Letty. And now he is here, and you want to be friends with him. You said so yourself, you were closer than close."

"Yeah, we were. Past tense." She wandered over to him, unwilling to argue anymore, "You need to understand. I am with you but Dom is back, and there is nothing either of us can do. He is his own person. I can't stop him living in LA if that is what he wants." John grudgingly agreed as he saw her face soften, "Come on. Time to have me all to yourself."

It was approaching midnight by the time she remembered Dom's message. She grabbed the phone and keyed in all the digits this time. It rang briefly before he answered. Dom explained that they were going to have a celebration for Jesse, give him a proper send off, even if it was a tad belated. They decided to meet the following day at Leon's house.


	13. Just A Ride

A/N: I realise Letty is slightly OOC, however, she is three years older and it is only a temporary thing. In the coming chapters, she becomes the old Letty. Anyway, hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. I have a good idea where all the characters are going, although there is one storyline that is set in stone (i.e. its all most written). Apologies for two alerts that this chapter had been uploaded. Had a little issue with fanfiction. Hopefully it is sorted now. As always, comments would be lovely and chapter 14 should be with you soon. And I will shut up now...

Chapter 13

It had been such a long time since Jesse had died, since their lives had been thrown into chaos, it felt weird to be having his 'funeral'. But she knew they needed to, especially Dom. Herself and the boys had talked about him in the past, but Dom had never had the chance to. As she pulled up at their house, he was sitting on the porch.

"Hey you. You good?" She asked breezily, trying to lighten the mood on what she knew would be a bad day. He nodded and stood to follow her as she went into the house, "So what's the plan?"

"We're gonna drive up to Neptune's Net, have some dinner, Jesse's favourite of course, and then just chill out on the beach. He wasn't exactly a complex guy." Leon joked, though it was clear that bringing up his best friend hadn't been easy. Everyone agreed it was the most Jesse like way to celebrate him, "Vince can ride with me, if you take Dom, Let?" Letty glanced at Dom before agreeing. 'It was fine', she assured herself, 'just two friends sharing a car together.'

"Nah, I'll ride with you Leon." Dom stated quickly, "I need to talk to you." Vince shrugged his shoulders before placing his hand on Letty's shoulder and pushing her out of the door.

"What was that about? You can't avoid her all your life."

"Who said anything about avoiding Let? You ever think I do want to talk to you?" Leon didn't like where this was going, but he left the house with Dom regardless. Letty and Vince had all ready screeched off by the time they were ready to leave. Both ambled to the car, "What is up with you?"

"What do you mean, bro?" Leon asked, cocking an eyebrow in his direction as he placed the key in the ignition.

"Le, you keep having nose bleeds, you have stopped wearing anything that doesn't have long sleeves and you are sleeping like a narcoleptic. I'm surprised Letty hasn't found you unconscious under a hood."

"Its nothing, dawg. The nose bleeds are seasonal, too much pressure. The long sleeves are just more comfortable and I've been busting my gut thanks to Letty, that is why I am sleeping so much." Leon wasn't convinced that his reasons would be valid. Dom refused to believe him, but didn't want to push it further. Not yet, not today. It was bad enough that they were spending the day thinking about Jesse, thinking about the past, let alone going off on a tangent that something might be wrong with Leon. He remained silent for the rest of the journey.

When they arrived at Neptune's Net, Letty and Vince were already sitting waiting, impatiently.

"What took ya?" She questioned grinning. Even if they had left at the same time, Letty would have still left Leon eating her dust.

"You ready to order?" They nodded enthusiastically. The waitress came over and asked for their order, "Sometimes I wish the kid had a less random taste in food." Dom shook his head in mock seriousness.

"Can we have four large cokes, and four noodles with tomato sauce, corned beef hash, mustard and cheese. You do still serve that, right?" Letty asked the young brunette waitress after seeing her bemused face.

"I'll just go check." A short while later she returned with an older guy.

"When Diane told me your order, I nearly died of shock. No one has ordered that in years. Where's Jesse?" Karl asked in his usual friendly manner. The four smiled briefly, before letting him know that the answer would not be an agreeable one.

"Hey Karl. Jess died a while back, over three years ago now. We're just here to celebrate him." Leon replied. Karl's face dropped and it was clear the words had shocked him.

"That's a shame. He was a good kid. Crazy, but good. Tell you what, its on the house. I'll have it to you in no time."

As the rest of team ate their way through the most random meal they had ever eaten, they reminisced about the 'mad scientist'. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. Leon would always regret letting him race Tran, but he wasn't to know. He'd thrown down and once you're in, you're in, no backing out. It didn't mean that it made losing him any easier, not by a long shot. Letty tried her best to stomach the weird concoction, but mustard had never been her friend. After several mouthfuls, she was rushing to the bathroom. Dom and Vince laughed as they shovelled the food into their mouths.

"Kind of thankful it is free now." Letty pondered as she returned to the table, "That guys obsession with mustard was just sick." She sipped back a large gulp of the coke and watched as the guys finished off, Vince helping himself to her leftovers.

"What now?" Vince asked as they left the restaurant and crossed the road towards the beach.

"We chill. I'm sorry, despite the fact Jess spent his life either in the garage or eating, I'm not spending a second there today. We racing tonight?" Leon kicked the sand as he sat down, pondering Letty's question.

"I'm up for some." he replied as Vince nodded his head in agreement as well, "Dom? Great way to honour him."

"So he didn't get to work on that one," Letty remarked glancing back at her second baby, "but still."

"We only have the two cars." Leon and Letty both shrugged.

"Vince rides with Leon all the time." Conceding to the pressure, Dom agreed, "I'll come round to yours at about ten." The four of them sat down in the sand for a while longer, all strangely quiet, reflecting on the last three and a half years. It seemed odd how they had ended up here. For something that had seemed like the perfect way to make a quick buck or two, it sure didn't work out as well as planned.

"Let's roll."

* * *

Ten o'clock rolled around quickly. John realised that the day was Jesse's day so didn't dare argue when Letty informed him that she was going out with the boys.

"I'm sleeping over at theirs. I am not sure what time we will be back, and I don't want to wake you or Maddie." He gave her a look of something, she couldn't decipher whether it was anger or fear.

"I have to be at work for 10 a.m. tomorrow, so you'll have to be back for Maddie."

"Why are you working on a Saturday?"

"Keith needs all hands on deck at this site. The clients are wanting to move in by next Friday." She smiled before picking up her keys and heading out. John watched from the window as she drove to her ex's house.

Arriving shortly afterwards, the guys were all ready to leave. Vince jumped into Leon's before Dom could raise protestations. Slowly skulking his way to Letty's car, she scraped her hand through her hair, smiling as he came closer. 'Did she have to look so fucking good tonight?', he thought as he climbed in.

"You look like someone shit in your chips." She offered up happily. He returned with a weak smile, to which she rolled her eyes and slipped the car into first.

"How's John?"

"Fine. Pissed that I am out tonight, but gives him time with baby. Though she has a habit of falling asleep on him. I think she thinks he's boring." Both laughed. Letty at the musings of her little family, Dom at the perceptiveness of a six month old. As they approached the alley, Dom sensed a strange feeling course through his body.

"You nervous?" Nerves, so this was what it felt like. Yeah, he was nervous. He hadn't been around this crowd for years. He doubted they would respect him in the same way, even wondered if the same crowd would be there, "There are a lot of new people. But Hector is still around, and Edwin shows his face every now and then." It was like she could read his thoughts. As she pulled up next to Leon's car, she squeezed Dom's hand and gave him a smile. It felt weird to her that he was so nervous, but understandable.

They both got out and began to walk towards Vince and Leon. The noise of the crowd descending into a low muttering of shocked voices. Whispers as to whether they were seeing what they were actually seeing. Letty spotted Hector pound over towards them,

"You're shittin' me?"

"Hector, good to see you." Dom smiled, the nerves slowly subsiding, "I thought you were going legit?" Hector shrugged as if to say 'things didn't work out.'

"Your girl racing." He questioned glancing at Letty who was busy talking to some random female.

"She's not my girl." He retorted firmly. Hector gave him a knowing smile before laughing, "But yeah, Let's racing."

"Letty, buying in?" She handed him a wad of cash. They found three others to race against her, one other girl and two guys.

As they filtered into the street, Dom got out of the car and wandered over to Hector.

"You back for good then?" He questioned as they milled around waiting for the go ahead.

"Yeah, though I won't be round here much. Promised Mia I would stay the boring side of the law." Their eyes scanned the crowd. Vince was talking to Leon, as Letty got herself ready, "She's gonna smoke them, ain't she?"

"Always does." A guys voice announced that they were clear to go over the two-way, and within seconds the race was underway.

"Seems like the party is at our house tonight." Hector grinned at him

"She still with that moron." Dom looked at him as though he was holding back on some information, "John, is it?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nah, he's just too, I don't know, boring. Can't see what Letty sees in him."

The crowd cheered as the cars returned. Letty pulled up and walked over to Hector to retrieve her winnings.

"Party at yours?" She grinned, though you could sense that she had won a little too easily. Sure, she knew she would win, but it was less fun if she hadn't actually had to try. "Drinks for Jesse."

For once, the proceedings weren't interrupted by the mad dash to escape the cops. As they pulled up outside the house, Letty turned to Dom.

"I'm taking my room back tonight. You can sleep on the sofa."

"Yeah? What if I want to sleep in my bed tonight?"

"Not gonna happen. Because that was mine first, and I ain't sharing." Dom glanced at her with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Yeah, whatever. Come on."


	14. Action Speaks Louder Than Words

Chapter 14

Letty awoke with a start, glancing at the clock. She closed an eye to focus on it a little better. The big hand was pointing to the 11, the little hand closing in on the 10.

"Shit!" She jumped up off the bed, threw on her jacket and rushed downstairs. She quickly glanced at Dom who was spread out on the sofa, laughing at the fight he had put up the previous night only to later pass out on there anyway. She darted out of the door and jumped into her car. The boy's house was at least 10 minutes from her own, even if she broke every speed limit on the route. As she neared her own dwelling, she noticed John's car was still in the driveway.

"Shit."

* * *

"I said I had to be at work at 10 a.m. Its five past now. You said you would be here."

"I'm sorry. I overslept. I'm here now, so go. Anyway, its not like he's going to fire you." John walked towards the door. He stopped and turned to look at her as she began messing with Maddie.

"That's not the point, and you know it." She refused to argue with him whilst Maddie was in the room, choosing to see him off with a sneer instead.

A short while later, the two of them were in the garage, Maddie happily playing in the makeshift play area in the office. Leon and Vince strolled in not long afterwards.

"You called us in on a Saturday?" Vince grunted before proceeding to fill the silence with a yawn.

"You owe me." She smirked, "You can be on babysitting duty, if you want?" Vince accepted the offer. His head was too fuzzy to work on anything remotely related to a car. He strolled into the office.

"When I said we would make it up to you, I was lying, you know that right? Why did you bring us in?" She pointed to the wreck of a car in the corner. Leon's face began to beam.

"Your new plaything." Letty stated as Leon walked towards the remains of what looked like a Toyota Celica, "It's a favour for a friend, so don't get too attached. He just doesn't have the time to fix it up himself." She slapped him on the back as she left to check on the child and Maddie.

The phone in the garage rang on its hook and she diverted her track.  
"Hello Ollie's Autos" Letty purred down the phone, quite unintentionally.

"Well hello." The hoarse voice on the other side replied.

"Yo Dom, what's up?" She beamed.

"Fancy coming round tonight? Tell the guys that I have finished unpacking now so we need to celebrate."

"Its about time. Sure we will be there." She put the phone down on the receiver, "Dom wants us to celebrate him moving in tonight. Party at yours, again."

* * *

"Why did you have to bother my parents?" John rattled once Letty returned home.

"Because they happen to like spending time with their granddaughter, plus I thought we could have a night off."

"As I recall, you had a night off last night. We going round theirs by any chance?" Letty nodded as she swapped her work clothes for something a little less oily. John sighed and left the room.

As they wandered into the yard, Letty was shocked at how similar the vibe was to the old Toretto house. Dom's presence seemed to have immediately infiltrated the area despite him having only lived there a few days. He handed both a drink.

"I'm driving." John replied.

There was a moments silence where Letty pondered the oddity of his reply. Normally John would have at least one. Dismissing it as quickly as it came to her, she reached for both of the bottles in his hands.

"Waste not, want not." She replied with a broad grin.

As the night progressed and the food was sufficiently stuffing everyone to their limits, Letty and Vince were slowly becoming more and more drunk.

"I guess I'll clear the dishes seen as Mia ain't here anymore." Leon and Vince both nearly passed out upon hearing those words. Letty couldn't help but laugh as Dom scooped up the plates into his arms.

"I'll give you a hand." She stated as she followed him into the kitchen. None of them noticed the sour expression on John's face, nor the fact that he was hardly saying a word.

Letty chided Dom as he passed her a soapy plate,

"Will you ever learn to rinse?" She questioned as she thrust the plate under the cool stream of water.

"This is why Mia did the washing up." He smiled back as she wiped the plate dry,

"So John's quiet tonight, or is he usually like this?" Letty shook her head and shrugged.

"I don't know what is wrong with him. He's been acting really weird lately."

"Lately? Since when?" Dom asked concerned.

"Well," She paused for a second, "Well since you came back I guess." She laughed to herself "Doesn't take a genius to work out why." They looked at each other for a moment too long. Both knew where this would eventually lead, "I can't," she whispered as she placed the towel on the side and wandered into the back yard.

Dom stood at the window and stared at his friends, lamenting about the time he had spent away from them. They had all changed so much. Vince was a lot calmer now, though still irritable. Leon was pretty much the same, if a bit hairier and Letty, he laughed to himself. He didn't think it was possible that he could love this woman anymore than he did when he left. She looked older, though motherhood was treating her well and she was a lot calmer than previous years. There was no doubt in his mind that she would defend herself if the time came though. She still had that amazing hair that he would spend hours twisting his fingers through as she slept. And those eyes, so striking and she could still say so much with just a look. As she was sitting there, slowly sipping her drink and laughing along to Vince's inane jokes, he could feel every part of his body swell with love and awe. The realisation that she was no longer his hit him like a ton weight. With a pained groan, he finished up with the dishes and wandered outside, a stack of beers in his hand.

The night drifted by. Letty and Vince were borderline smashed and laughing at random musings the other said. The three guys looked on in amusement before John finally decided to take Letty home. As he drove back to the house, he kept glancing over at Letty, who was slowly falling asleep. She looked exhausted, but he figured that the amount she had drunk that evening was seeing to her being partly unconscious. Everything about her that evening had sounded alarm bells in his head. She was as happy with the boys as she was when she was with Maddie. However, she had never seemed that happy when it was just the two of them. He put her to bed and realised that he was near the point of losing her.

* * *

Letty awoke with a pounding headache. She was thankful that it was a Sunday and her presence wasn't required at the garage. She knew Leon had that car he was working on, but other than that they were on schedule with everything else. With Race Wars looming, days off were going to be few and very far between. Wandering into the kitchen, she picked up the local rag. Nothing but stories of despair confronted her and she quickly returned it to where it had been. John was messing about on his computer.

"What time are we picking Mads up, again?" She asked as she sat down next to him. Without looking up from the computer, he gave her the designated time, and she sloped off into the shower.

"Are you mad with me because I've had a few drinks recently?" She questioned. She was stood in front of him in a crisp white towel, her hair in a turban and a toothbrush in her mouth, "It wasn't as if Maddie was around and it was just with the guys. I didn't make a fool of myself."

John muttered something as she turned her heel to walk back into the bathroom.

"No, but you made a fool of me."

After a short while she emerged from their room, dressed and refreshed though still smarting from his attitude. The two of them were soon hopping into the car and driving to his mom's house. There was an uncomfortable silence with Letty fuming at the fact she couldn't have one night off without being scorned upon.

"I'm not pissed off that you were drinking." Letty scoffed,

"Well, that's good to know. What is your problem then?" John refused to answer, which managed to rile Letty further still.

Letty fastened her daughter into the child seat and they quickly left.

"Hey, would you mind dropping me off at the garage?" John looked at her suspiciously. He knew Leon would have clocked off by now, and there was no reason for her to be there. "Take Maddie home and I'll be back in about an hour. Just need to sort some things out whilst it is quiet. I sometimes wish Mia was around and she could do the accounts for me." He reluctantly changed the direction in which he was driving and headed to the garage.

As they pulled up outside, neither was surprised to see it locked up.

"Have fun." John remarked in a tone that unnerved Letty. She glanced at him for a moment trying to read his thoughts. She shrugged and kissed Maddie on the top of her head.

"Be good for daddy."

* * *

A few hours had passed before Letty even noticed the time. She glanced at the clock, cursing as she did so. Picking up the stack of statements, she shoved them into the cupboard and closed the office door. As she went to pick up her jacket she could hear a familiar sound but dismissed it just as quickly knowing it wasn't possibly. She pulled the garage door across and locked up. That sound crept into her ears again, followed by familiar sight. Her Nissan pulled up into the forecourt. John in the driver's seat.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She yelled, dropping her jacket and marching over, "Get out of my car." John opened the door and climbed out, but in a way that made it clear it was by his own doing rather than her demands.

"He here?"

"Are you for real?" Letty screamed "Seriously, what the fuck do you think you are doing? Why the hell are you driving my car? Where's my daughter?"

"Yes, your daughter. The one whose father is not good enough. She is with my mom, because I actually care about her and don't go running off when there is trouble." Letty stood in front of him in a state of absolute confusion. She tried to replay that statement over in her head, but no matter how many times it went through, it still didn't sound right.

"Who's been running? I needed to come here to sort out some paperwork. What the hell is your problem?" He grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her to the car, "No, I am not letting you drive when you are acting like this."

"Then you drive." Wrestling her arm free from his clutch she took the keys off him and got into the driver's seat.

Soon she was driving towards their home.

"Turn here." He barked. Letty refused to follow his command. "I said turn bitch." Letty slammed on the brakes.

"Don't you dare! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"You are." He sneered, "Well, you and that thug. I see how you are with him, flirting like you are some school kids. Pretending I don't exist. Well guess what Letty? I am here. I do exist. I am the one you are getting married to. I am the one who you had a kid with. I am the only man in your life and if you think I am gonna let Dominic fucking Toretto take that away from me." He laughed.

Letty stared at him in utter disbelief. He was looking at the dashboard by this point, slowly wringing his hands in his lap.

"What? We've been through this. I am with you. You need to stop being so paranoid. If I wanted to be with him, I would be. You know that."

"Not with Maddie around." She looked at him, sensing that on some level he was right.

"Look, lets just go home. You need to calm down."

"I thought I could get past it, you know. I thought we would come back here and it would all be fine. But no, he comes back here too. And you all have your in-jokes, and your history, and your own fucking world that doesn't involve me. You know what Letty, I can't. I can't have him around. Him or me?" John shouted as he threw down his ultimatum.

Letty couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You're making me choose?" He nodded purposefully, refusing to look at her.

"Choose. Now. Me or him?"

"Fuck you!"

As she turned to drive off, his hand raised from in front of him and found its target on her face. The stinging pain coursed from her face down into her body and manifested itself as anger.

She had never let anyone hit her before and get away with it. For a moment she stared at the steering wheel, numb, devoid of all emotion. He started to apologise but she shook her head. There was nothing he could say that would justify his actions. She knew that staying with him was no longer an option. The one man she had always loved, would never stop loving, had never raised his hand to her, would never raise his hand to her. When Letty spoke it didn't even sound like her.

"Get out." He scowled at her for a few moments, before slowly climbing out of the Nissan, slamming the door behind him. Letty put her foot down and sped off.


	15. You Do Something To Me

Chapter 15

As she drove down the highway, she thumbed at her cell phone. She scrolled to find Dom's number, but quickly passed it in favour of Vince.  
"V, meet me at mine in 45 minutes."

She furiously pulled up in front of her future mother in laws house, jumped out and ran to the door. Banging at it repeatedly, she felt as if no one would ever answer. Letty could hear movement in the house and started to calm down a little.

"Letty, how can I help you?" Irene questioned as she opened the door.

"There's been a change of plan. I'm taking Maddie with me." She could see Maddie playing on the floor with her grandfather.

"I'm sorry Letty, but John wanted me to look after her this afternoon." She replied defiantly, her hand resting on the door frame.

"Just give me my daughter." Letty demanded before pushing past the older woman. She picked up Maddie and was outside quicker than Irene or Robert could react.

* * *

Vince was standing on the drive, flanked by Leon and Dom, as Letty hurtled on to it. Climbing out of the Nissan, babe in arms, she rushed up and into the house.

"Yo Let, wanna let us in on what the deal is here?" Vince asked. Carefully putting Maddie in her carry cot, she stopped to look at the three guys. She could feel the pain on her face slowly translating into a visible mark, "Who did that?"

"I'm leaving guys. Can I move in with you?"

"Did he do that?" Dom questioned, walking over to inspect the forming bruise.

She moved away from him and into her room. She began to throw her entire wardrobe into a suitcase, before following it with a few photo's and some personal effects. Zipping up the case, she dragged it into the living room before running into Maddie's room and collecting everything she needed for her daughter. As she gathered her belongings, Letty's mind was awash with thoughts.

How had she let him do that to her? Yes, he had apologised almost instantly, but he had still raised his hand to her. He had never seemed capable of such a thing. Quiet, mild mannered, wouldn't say boo to a goose. Yet he had gone somewhere no man had ever gone before with her. Why had she stayed with him for so long? He had been the right guy at the right time when they met, but things change. Was it convenience that had seen them stay together? She didn't know. Probably. Especially when Maddie came along. All she knew now though was that she had to leave him. They're was no other option.

The boys were still standing on the sidelines, completely bemused at the whirlwind that was slowly trashing the house.

"Letty, what happened?" She paused in front of the fridge, Leon's voice bringing her out of the trance she had slipped into. Slowly, she looked at them.

"It's over." Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a cab pulling up and John nonchalantly getting out of it. Dom's gaze followed her eyes and he quickly saw the same sight. He turned to exit the house and left before anyone could react.

Marching down the driveway towards John, his eyes were set on one thing.  
"Surprise, surprise." John managed to get out before he felt the full force of Dominic Torreto's right cross strike his face, forcing him to the ground. Dom quickly followed his punch with some kicks to the chest, winding his opponent. As John lay on the floor, shielding his face with his arm, Dom continued to attack him. Fury ran through his body as he slowly slipped into a state where he was unconscious of his actions. In that moment, nothing else mattered. This guy had hurt the one person he loved more than life itself and he needed to be punished. Vince ran up behind him in an attempt to restrain his friend.

"Dom, stop!" Letty hollered from behind him. The combined force of Vince's actions and Letty's pleas managed to tame him slightly, enough at least for Vince and Leon to pull him away from an injured John.

"And you wonder why?" John snarled, wiping the blood away from his mouth as he tried to find his feet. After a short pause he heaved his body from the floor. Doubled over in pain, he looked at Letty, "Tell me something though, what planet are you on Letty? This guy has cheated on you, nearly got you killed then just abandoned you. He turns up three years later with no explanation and you forgive him? You all forgive him? What is so fucking great about Dom Toretto, eh? Did I miss something?"

Vince and Leon had by this time managed to walk a fuming Dom over to the wall. Letty looked intently at John, before glancing back at the three guys.

"Yes, I was angry, and yes, he hurt me more than you could ever imagine." She walked closer to John. "I tried to stop myself from falling for him again, but I can't. I can't stop loving him. I have never stopped loving him. Me and him, its different. We screw up, we make mistakes." John shook his head in denial.

"Have you slept with him? Since he's been back, have you fucked him?"

"No, I wouldn't. I would never cheat on you." He scoffed

"Some consolation I suppose. So, I am a mistake then. What we had was one big fucking mistake. You were just screwing me whilst you waited for him to come back." He laughed as he once again wiped his mouth. A red smear covered his hand as he motioned to the house, "This, all of this, was a mistake. Maddie was a mistake."

Letty had tried to be tolerant of him but those last words put her over the edge. She mimicked Dom's previous actions and landed her fist right into the side of his face. He again fell to the floor. She crouched next to him, grabbing his shirt by the collar.

"Don't you ever bring Maddie into this. This is between you and me, and maybe we were, but don't you ever say my daughter was a mistake. You wanted me to choose, yeah?" She stood up from him, gripped her left hand and pulled off the diamond ring he had given her, throwing it next to him, "You made it so fucking easy."

Letty strode off towards the boys, who were standing back smiling proudly. Leon pulled her in for a hug but she pushed him away. They looked around at each other as she wandered into the house. Picking up her daughter, she grabbed the bags she had packed and walked towards her car.

"I'll see you back at the house."

"What's with that?" Vince questioned as they watched them drive off.

"Who knows. Let's just get back. I don't think we are wanted here." Dom answered as he glanced at John, who was still struggling to get off the floor, "You touch her again, you so much as look at her in the wrong way, you'll be leaving in a hearse." John spat out some blood from his mouth as he watched the three of them leave.

* * *

They drove back to the fort. Silence filled the car, but there was a clear sense that everyone was happy. Their girl was back where she belonged. As Leon turned in to the street, they spotted Letty carrying her stuff into the house. A warm smile came to Dom's face. They pulled up to the kerb and he quickly jumped out, rushing up to her.

"Wanna get out of the house tonight, V?" Leon laughed

"I don't think its gonna be a problem," He replied glancing at the altercation occurring between the two people on the porch, "Seems like Letty ain't letting him in so easily."

"Dom, why did you have to get involved?" She scorned him as she moved into the house with another bag, "Its not your problem."

"When he hit you, it became my problem."

"When have I ever needed you to defend me? I was handling it and you had to haul your ass up in there, and start throwing punches." She stated as she marched up the stairs and into the room. She carelessly threw her things on to the bed.

"Letty, listen to me. I know you can handle things, you demonstrated that pretty clearly. I wasn't gonna just sit back though." As she went to leave the room, Dom paused and looked around the room, bemused. "Erm, Let. This is my room."

"It was my room first."

"Yeah, but you can't just kick me..?" She mocked surprise before laughing as she left the room. He could do nothing but grin.

"Ok, maybe I was wrong." Vince stated as Letty bounded down the stairs, "So, tonight, where do you want to go?"

"Nah mate, I think I might stay here."

"What and listen to Bobby and Whitney all night?" Letty passed him as he shot his mouth off, politely flipping him off as she did. Leon laughed at her delightful response before feeling the force of Vince's fist in his right arm. He fell over on to the couch, bouncing onto the floor.  
"What was that for?"

As Letty rearranged Dom's stuff to make way for her own, she came across an old picture. She remembered it being taken as if it as yesterday. It was a few weeks before the final high jacking. The whole team was there, including Mia and Jesse. She was sitting on Dom's knee, Leon and Vince were on one side of the table with Mia and Jess on the other. Brian was behind the camera, a small mercy that she didn't have to see his face. As much as it surprised her that Vince had been right all along, she wished they had listened to him. The fallout from not doing so had been devastating for all of them, not least for Jesse.

"Miss you bro." She said quietly to the picture as she placed it on the cupboard.

* * *

Vince and Dom were playing on the PlayStation whilst Leon was busy feeding Maddie in the kitchen by the time she had finished. She exhaled a contented sigh before sitting down next to Dom.

"You sorted?" He asked.

"Yep. Still got a few things left at the house, but I'll go round tomorrow. Let us have a go." She demanded before he handed over the controller. Dom stood up, kissed her on the forehead and wandered into the kitchen.

"I thought I had lost her, bro. When I came back and I saw how happy she was with him, it made me regret leaving so much more. I don't think I could have coped just being in her life without being with her."

"Yeah, like you didn't know it would end up this way? It's the way things are, the way they've always been. You've known since you were 21 that Letty would always be yours. Just got a bit complicated because of this little one." He smirked at the little girl, smiling away happily. Wiping away the remains of her dinner with her bib, he glanced up at Dom, "Want to take her into mommy?" He picked up Maddie and carried her back into the living room.

Letty had noticed the bond between them the first time they had met, but now it seemed to have intensified. She could see pride in his eyes, and Maddie looked so happy when he was around.

"She really does like you." She remarked, her attention diverted away from the game.

"She is amazing. She is like you in so many ways. I am so proud of you. I always knew you would make a great mother, didn't realise just how much though." Letty beamed.

Dom stroked her face carefully, trying to soothe away the pain created by John. She could feel that sense of longing strike her stomach once again. Slowly everything fell into place. The hole he had created in her by leaving was being refilled as each second past. She beckoned him to come closer, looking at him with sheer devotion, as she slowly placed her lips on his. It was a small kiss, and one that lasted maybe two seconds at most, but it told him everything.

"Promise me you will never leave again." Dom looked at her, smiled and nodded.  
"I promise."

"Ha, finally I beat the master! Eat that woman!" Vince hollered from next to her, before turning and realising he had pretty much been playing on his own, "Figures."  
Vince rose from his seat and moseyed out of the room. Dom placed one arm round Letty, whilst perching Maddie on his knee. He suddenly realised how much he had nearly lost out on. Pulling Letty closer, her head dropping onto his chest, he smiled to himself.

* * *

A/N: Sorry to those who had problems with reading this story. Seems like fanfiction has had a few hitches recently. So yeah, of course Dom and Letty got back together. Its Dotty, and you've got to love the Dotty. IMO, the film was greatly improved by this relationship. Brian and Mia, who? But wait, there is more. How will they all cope living together again? What did happen to Vince after the heist? Will John be leaving in a hearse? And who is keeping a big secret? Chapter 16...coming soon.

By the way, thank you so much for all your comments. I appreciate all of them and I am glad you are liking it. For all those who read but aren't registered, I changed my options so I can now accept anon. comments. Nudge nudge. Seriously though, thank you.


	16. She's A Rebel

Chapter 16

Leon was slurping back a glass of water when Vince ambled in,

"You sure you're not coming out later. Looks like those two will be occupied all night." Leon shook his head as Vince grabbed a beer from the fridge before wandering out into the back yard, "Suit yourself." Leon dragged a letter from his back pocket and examined it closely. Everything on the paper made him freeze inside.

"What's that Le?" Letty asked, forcing him to quickly fold it up and slip it into his pocket.

"Oh nothing. Just some doodles I did yesterday." Letty stared at him with a certain humour to her face before laughing.

She glanced in the fridge and laughed further still.

"I sure as hell know Vince doesn't live on fresh air, so how come there is nothing in here? Dom, we're going shopping." Dom made some noises that sort of equated to 'yeah sure, have fun, I'm staying here.' She huffed and turned to ask Leon but he had made a hasty exit. Wandering outside, Vince gave her a worried look, unsure of what she was about to tell him, "We need food. Let's go."

"At least let me change first." He said as he pointed to the line of blood that had transferred to his shirt as he dragged Dom away from a bruised and battered John.

* * *

"Vince hurry up." Letty hollered from the bottom of the stairs, her hand resting on the banister. She turned to see Dom happily playing with her daughter. Smiling to herself, she knew everything would be alright from now on. "Vince!" 

"What Let? I'm ready, aren't I?" He shouted back from the top of the stairs. His shirt was halfway over his head, trousers unzipped. Letty just smirked.

"Yeah, you're ready."

They piled into her Nissan and made their way to the grocery store, Vince still dressing himself.

"Yo Let, when are you and Dom gonna get hitched then?" He asked as he tied his laces, "Think its about time, don't you?"

"What? We've only just got back together." She replied as she steered into the car park,

"Yeah, but that thing you had with John aside, you've been together eight years."

"So does Leon want steak or chicken tonight?" Letty asked, diverting his attention away from his absurd ramblings. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about it and she knew she was likely to stick with Dom for a good long while. Yet, having just come out of one engagement, she was gonna give it a day or two before she moved into the next.

"The boy wants some good ol' American beef." He said in a deep, even more manly tone. Letty looked at him, eyebrow raised as if to say 'Ok, then.'

They exited the car, grabbed a trolley and began scouring the store for the usual barbecue fare. Vince picked up a bag of chips and threw them at the back of Letty's head. It forced her forward, causing her to trip. Having saved herself from landing flat on her face, she stopped in her tracks. Slowly, she turned round to him, dipped to scoop up the object of her affliction and lobbed it.

"Oh this is war." He yelled as he grabbed a second bag of chips. She ducked this time, and scanned the shelf next to her. Nothing but glass jars lined it. The chips landed on the floor causing the bag to pop open, scattering its contents.

"What the..?" Vince screamed before he put his arms up to defend himself. She had right out thrown a jar of peanut butter towards his head, "you're effing crazy, mama." Letty laughed as the jar floated past his head and landed on the floor, smashing into pieces.

Their violence had caught the attention of a shop assistant. He scurried over.

"May I help you?" He asked in a surly tone. Letty, who was still laughing loudly, tried to compose herself.

"No its fine, he just slipped with the jar and I dropped these chips, that's all. You may need to get a cleaner." Still laughing she noticed Vince's face had dropped, and she knew it wasn't just because of her antics, "You all right, V?"

"You can run, but you can't hide!" A voice spoke from behind Letty. She turned to find herself almost face to face with an unfamiliar guy. He was tall, well built, maybe in his late thirties, with a bottle of chilli sauce in his left hand and a packet of beef burgers in the other, "Vincent Cavalla. Haven't seen you in years, dawg."

"Yeah, long time. What brings you here?" Letty's eyes were flicking between the two, trying to assess the situation.

"Vacationing with my girl." Vince seemed to flinch at his words. A subtle move to the guy, but glaringly obvious to Letty, "This yours?" The man asked, pointing the bottle in Letty's direction.

"Yours what?" She snapped back at him, knocking the bottle to one side.

"Guess not. Would take a brave man to handle her." Letty snarled at him, readying herself to hit him

"Let." Vince warned, "Nah, this is Letty. You remember me telling you about her? Let, this is Nat Cornell. Met him a few years back. So where is Sofia?"

"In the car. We only stopped so I could get some chilli sauce and burgers," Emphasising the point by holding both up by his head, "I should be getting back to her. She gets antsy if you leave her too long. Catch you around sometime?"

"Yeah, sure." Vince said as the man departed from view. The store clerk was still floating around behind them.

"You will need to pay for these."

"It was an accident." Letty stated firmly before dragging Vince from the aisle, "Come on V."

* * *

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" She asked him as they neared the checkout. Vince said nothing. They grabbed the groceries and wandered to the car. After a short while, Vince decided to speak. 

"That was some guy you don't want to fuck with." Letty looked at him with a confused expression.

"You wanna go further with that thought?"

"Right, remember after the heist, shit went a little crazy?" Letty laughed to herself, before nodding in absolute agreement, "Yeah, well, after I got out of hospital, I had nowhere to go. The fort, that was a no-go. No one there, had been trashed by the cops, didn't even want to risk it. So I floated around for a bit. Had a little money, rented a motel. I was at this bar one night, got talking to this guy, said he could hook me up with some work in Vegas."

"Some work?" She questioned sceptically, "Vegas?"

"Yeah, well. I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. But I was desperate. So, I did a couple of jobs over the next few weeks. Just some drop offs, simply exchanges."

"Fuck V, drugs?" Letty sighed as she rounded the corner of their street. Vince motioned for her to pull over to the kerb, a couple of hundred metres from the house.

"In the first few weeks yeah. But then he sent me round with this other guy. Debt collecting, I suppose you could call it. Intimidation. I was fucking useless at that, what with my arm and everything. But I could just stand there, be the intimidating type, y'know." Once again, Letty felt compelled to laugh at the thought, "Anyway, it felt like a team. Missed that whole coming together shit. We became close, invited me over one night, made the mistake of introducing me to his woman."

"Oh Jesus Vince." Letty sighed, "That guy's chick, by any chance?"

"Yeah, well, I'm a guy. I have needs. Kept it quiet for a while, three maybe four weeks. Then, well, we nearly got caught. 3 a.m. in the morning, I'm standing on the balcony outside their room in nothing but a pair of boxers. I had to fucking slide down the drain pipe to get out. I flung some shit into a bag and hightailed it back to LA. Spent the first week in that motel again, then I remembered Leon's moms house. Thought I would give it a look. Found you two, and the rest is history."

"He ever find out?" Letty sighed once more.

"Doubt it. Would have strung me up by my balls back there if he had. I owe Sofia a lot though. She must have come up with a good fucking excuse for him not to have asked anything." Letty shook her head before slapping him on the back.

"So finally, the mystery of V's lost weeks. Only took you three years to cough that one up. Have fun in Vegas?" Vince grinned to himself as he reminisced of his time, letting out a small laugh, "Come on. Can't let them get too hungry."

Letty drove the short remainder of their journey, pulling up behind Leon's car. They walked round the back to see the grill already stoked and ready. Vince handed Leon the bag of meat and he flung a couple of steaks onto it. Letty wandered over to Dom, who was sitting with a beer in one hand and his other holding Maddie steady on the table.

"Got one for me?" She asked as she sat next to him. He offered her the rest of his own. Throwing him a scowl, he bent down to the cooler and passed her a cold one, "Thank you." Her scowl subsiding a little. Leon shot both of them an amused look, before laughing to himself. He felt happy that she was back living with them. Things would be easier from now on.

* * *

"I think someone here needs to sleep." Letty mused as she took her daughter inside, "Be back in a bit." 

"So Vince, how was Vegas?" Dom asked smirking. Vince looked up from his beer.

"Let tell you then?" He was greeted with a bemused look in response,

"No, I guessed. Yeah she told us." Leon smiled as he ate the rest of his steak, "Heard you had a bit of woman trouble."

"Something like that. Pass us a beer." Leon and Dom looked at each, neither one wanting to let the issue drop but both sensing they should.


	17. Ordinary People

Chapter 17

As the sun dipped below the LA horizon, they moved everything inside. The two guys manned the kitchen sink whilst Letty and Dom wandered upstairs. He peeked a look into Maddie's room, checking that she was all right.

Letty grabbed his hand, dragging him into their room. He flipped on the light and stood in front of her, pushing a strand of hair back behind her left ear.

"Vince never changes, does he?" He questioned. She placed a finger over his mouth before dragging it down over his lower lip. They parted as he moved closer to her face, finding hers with ease. He groaned as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

His hand reached around the back of her neck, holding her so close to him that he could smell each individual strand of her hair. Letty guided her hands up his back taking the hem of his shirt between her fingers. They parted for a second so that she could remove it from over his head. He walked her back towards the wall and she moaned as he pressed his body forcibly against her.

A short while later, Dom stepped back and took the pressure off Letty's body. She slowly regained her composure, her breathing steadying slightly, and walked him back towards the bed. She lifted her top over her head. Dom smirked at her and ran his tongue over his lower lip. Letty pushed him back on the bed before placing herself on his left hand side.

"I've been thinking," She said as her hand moved up his chest. She leant forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. He grinned up at her, his hand finding its way up her face and resting in her hair.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," She sighed seductively. Letty slipped her hand back down his chest, easing its way towards his groin, "I need a drink." She stated as her hand jerked to the side and picked up the shirt that lay to his right. Bewildered, he was too shocked to say anything until she had left the room.

"Oh come on!"

Letty had quickly slipped on the shirt by the time she reached the kitchen.

"Letty." Vince said as he looked her up and down with a knowing smile.

"Vince." She responded in a similar tone. He smacked Leon on the back, and he spun round.

"That was you, I take it? Before?" Letty pulled the fridge door open and grabbed two bottles of beer.

"Before when? What?" She smirked and swaggered out of the kitchen. As she left, Vince turned to his friend.

"Do they have to rub it in our faces?"

"Come on dawg, I was wrong. Lets get outta here." Leon looked at him and laughed, "The night is still young."

* * *

The sun rose with little haste. Letty rolled over on to her front, her arm slapping down on Dom's chest. 'Always the ladylike sleeper', he mused as he stared at the curtains. She had made the wait worth it the previous night. She always did. He had forgotten just how good she was. He cautiously lifted her arm from his chest and placed it by her side. She snuggled into the pillow a little. Rising from the bed, he made his way into the bathroom and splashed a little cold water on to his face. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed how he was beginning to look old. He was only 29 but things in his life had taken their toll. His Mom leaving, losing his dad, raising Mia, then the heists that had seen his whole world shattered leading him to a self imposed exile from the things he loved. Yeah, he looked old.

The door opened and a sleepy Letty walked through, nudging him slightly as she passed and sat down on the toilet. Yawning, she managed to utter a barely decipherable sentence

"I'm gonna go round the old house and get the rest of my stuff after work." Yawn finished, she continued, "I need to sort out things with John. Do you want to come down to the garage?"

"Nah not today." He mumbled. He heard the toilet flush and felt her hands creep up from behind him and up his chest.

"Hey, stop hogging the sink, I need to brush my teeth." She whispered before planting a kiss on his shoulder, albeit one that required her to stand on her tiptoes, "You know we would appreciate the help."

"Not yet. Tomorrow, yeah? I'll look after Maddie, if you like?" Letty sighed but agreed as he slipped out of the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Letty was back in their room, slipping on her trousers and white top. She grabbed a black band and dragged her hair into a ponytail. Dom glanced over at her, taking in every inch of her torso as she stretched up, causing the white top to rise to her navel.

"How long till you open up?" He stated seductively. She turned to meet his gaze.

"Why, what do you have in mind?." She purred as she moved closer to him.

* * *

Vince was sitting at the kitchen table, head resting on his left hand, nursing a glass of water with his right.

"You're gonna be late." She whispered into his ear.

"Think imma gonna have to call in sick." Letty laughed before asking where Leon was, "last time I saw him he had his arm draped round some girl, think he went back to hers."

"Then you can't call in sick. I know Xander and Joel will be in, but if you and Leon are both off, we're gonna fall behind." He stared up from the table with his bloodshot eyes.  
"Can't you ask Dom?" She smirked at him.

"I think Dom needs to sleep a little. Moving in can be tiring." He gave her a knowing look, "Come on, sick boy. I'll take it easy on you."

Dragging himself from the chair, he let her guide him out the door and into the car. Ten seconds later they were peeling out of the driveway on their way to the garage.

She braked hard and stopped centimetres from the wall. A little too close for comfort. Vince got out and wandered into the forecourt, catching sight of Leon.

"Le, get lucky last night?" The smile on his face confirmed his question.

"Didn't think you'd be here." Letty laughed

"See you guys. I'm going back." Vince stated before being dragged back by Letty, "Come on Let. I'm dying here."

"Let him go, Letty. We're fine." Leon laughed. She released her grip on his shirt and he skulked off, "Let, is there any chance I can have Thursday off?"

"Yeah sure. With Dom starting soon, we will be fine. Why anyway?" Leon turned away from her, his hands fiddling in an open tool box. As he went to speak, a car pulled up outside and Letty moved out towards it. He let out a relieved sigh and continued on the Celica.

* * *

"Dom, I can handle this on my own."

"I know. Just let me come." Reluctantly, Letty unlocked the door. They were soon travelling the relatively short distance to her old house, "Why were you even with him?"

"Because he was everything you're not, and at the time that was all I needed." He flinched at her words further coming to the realisation that he had fucked up badly, "Look, it happened, its over. We move on. So, you coming down tomorrow?" Dom nodded.

"Yeah, will be good to get back to doing what I do best."

"Its not the best thing you do." Letty remarked, arching her eyebrow, forcing Dom to cough.

They pulled up to the kerb and John was waiting impatiently on the drive. His face was an array of bruises, a circle of black and blue hues traced around his eye. Boxes of Letty's belongings were lying next to him.

"You brought your bodyguard?" He said with a smirk, though it could not mask the apprehension in his eyes. Letty turned to Dom before he could react and gave him a look of warning.

"You know I don't need one, so lets just cut the crap. That my stuff?" He nodded, "So nice of you to pack."

"Yeah well." He jabbed his left foot into one of the boxes, pushing it towards Letty. "I'm selling the house by the way."

"Why? You do realise I'll get half?"

"I know. I was going to tell you a couple of days ago, but it never happened. I have a job offer. Chicago, long term. Two years at this site, maybe longer. I leave in just over a week."

"I wouldn't have gone, you know that right? What about Maddie?" He shrugged, almost forcing Letty to react, "You are still her father."

"She can come visit when she is older. You too, I guess. I'll write, but I think its fair to say she's more your daughter, than ours. Surprised she even knows who her real daddy is." Letty held her arm up as she felt Dom move closer to her, preventing him from passing.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" John bent down and picked up one of the boxes.

"That kid has spent so much time with tweedle dee and tweedle dum that she doesn't know who's who in her life." Letty paused for a second, before bringing her left hand up underneath the box, causing the contents to fly over the driveway and careering her right hand into his face. He stepped back, grimacing at the pain that she had inflicted on his already injured face.

"Well, it will make it easier for her to forget you then, won't it?" Dom was pacing behind Letty, trying desperately to stay calm though it was taking every ounce of self restraint.

"That's not what I want. Just promise me you won't completely write me out of her life. You may see me as being indifferent in her life, but mom and dad dote on her. Just, just don't make it too hard on them." John asked as he rubbed his cheek. Letty smiled weakly before nodding. For the first time in a while, genuine sorrow entered his face, "Where did we go wrong, eh Let? We were good together for so long." Letty laughed softly, admitting to herself that it was the truth but ultimately realising that between Dom coming back and John hitting her, everything had changed.

"I think it was somewhere around about the time you hit me. Go, have fun in Chicago. And don't worry, Maddie will know." He sighed as he walked back into the house.


	18. If I Ain't Got You

Chapter 18

Letty was still riled from the argument as they entered the house. Immediately, she noticed the lack of noise and people. She looked at Dom who did not seem fazed by the lack of activity.

"What's going on?" She questioned, unsure whether to be happy they had the house to themselves or curious as to why they did.

"I sent the boys and Mads out for dinner. Thought we could use this time to talk." She arched an eyebrow in his direction. It was never normal for people to utter that phrase. 'Time to talk' always struck her as a very serious sounding conversation. She tried to replay everything she had said to him. No, nothing out of the ordinary. 'Wait', she thought, 'this is going to be about John.'

"Look, everything I said to him I meant. And I know Mads..." She was cut off as Dom backed her up against the wall, "This isn't talking Dom." She stated shaking her head.

"Shut up." Happily, Letty complied as her mouth found his. Within seconds they had stripped each other, Dom noting that she had been wearing his boxers. They stumbled to the sofa before Letty pushed him down first. In between stifled breaths and a selection of various moans, Dom whispered something into her ear.

"What?" She exhaled, her head rising from his neck.

"Marry me." Letty chose to ignore his comment and worked her way down his body. Whilst at first he tried to make her understand he was being serious, his thoughts soon became irrelevant.

* * *

Vince placed Maddie in the high chair as they settled down at the café.

"I can't believe he evicted us." Vince moaned. He secured Maddie's bib around her neck. Leon laughed as he scanned the menu, "He comes back, moves in and then evicts us."

"You would too if you had sex on tap. Plus you know he's gonna propose tonight."

"Is that right?" A voice spoke from behind them. They turned to see John sitting in the booth next to them, "Nice to see he waited around."

"Come on dawg, she's happy. Can't you just leave it at that." Leon said, trying to placate him.

"Not when they swan off and leave my daughter with dumb and dumber." Vince went to stand, but refrained as he looked down at Maddie.

"Look, we're here to eat, so are you, so lets just do it. Right?" Vince stated as he tried to calm down. He knew that hitting John, no matter how good it felt, would not help the situation. For starters, he didn't think he would be able to survive another beating. John moved closer and went to pick up Maddie. She started to cry as he lifted her from the chair and he promptly passed her over to Vince.

"You know what, I've suddenly lost my appetite." They both looked surprised at how quickly he had given up. He kissed Maddie before he went to leave the café. Leon stared at Vince.

"What the hell happened earlier?" Vince raised his shoulders to his ears, keeping them there for a good ten seconds, "What you eating?"

The waitress came and took their orders. As they chatted about the past week, Leon suddenly drew back. He stared out of the window and watched the night slowly creeping in around them. He watched as Vince fed Maddie, trying to understand where the old, temper tantrum Vince had disappeared to. He knew the fallout from the high jacking had seen him grow up fast, but it was almost as he craved stability these days. Maddie had changed all of their lives. Lettys the most, obviously. Yet, she was as much a part of their own lives. Leon could feel something slowly trickle down from his nose. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he made his excuses and left the table before Vince could make any comment.

"Where the hell has he gone now?" Vince laughed as he scooped some more food on to the spoon. A blonde woman waked over to him and smiled. He reciprocated her action, taking in her body. She looked like a Baywatch reject but he wasn't gonna judge.

"She's adorable. What's her name?" She asked, looking down at the baby.

"Maddie. What about you?" Laughing, she flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"I'm Maddie too. How cool. Madison actually, but everyone calls me Maddie because its easier." Vince quickly found himself distracted by her mumblings. She was attractive sure, but factored low on the IQ scale.

"Nice. Maddie is actually short for Madeline." The woman looked slightly dejected at this new information.

"Oh, well is Madelines' mother still in the picture." She questioned.

"Yeah, she is, and before you ask I'm not her father."

* * *

Leon stared at himself in the mirror, wiping away the remaining blood that was drying underneath his nose. He splashed his face with the cool water and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser. The lighting in the bathroom was harsh, but he knew it wasn't the only reason he looked so haggard. His face was beginning to look drawn and lacked any distinguishable colour that didn't fall under the category of washed-out. "How much longer can I hide this?' He discarded the towel into the bin and left the room.

As he walked into the bright lights of the restaurant he saw Vince chatting up some blonde. Smirking to himself, he contemplated leaving him to it for a while, but then noticed that things weren't as they seemed.

"What, you're the babysitter?" She retorted with a laugh,

"For tonight, yeah. Her mom and dad are busy, and I am looking after her." Vince rolled his eyes as he saw Leon approach. Madison realised the conversation was going nowhere and left, bumping into Leon as she did.

"What was that all about? She was hot and you let her walk away."

"I'm not going to use Maddie to get me a chick. Besides, she was thick." Leon laughed,

"Since when has that stopped you?" Vince refused to answer.

The waitress arrived with their meals. As Vince tucked in to his bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon and fries, Leon started to poke at his own meal. His appetite had almost completely gone in the past few months and he had resorted on many occasions to forcing something into his stomach just to pacify the others. This time though, as he stared at the cheeseburger, he knew that nothing on earth would see that one go down into his stomach.

"You not hungry, Le?"

"Nah bro, you want it?" Never one to miss the opportunity of extra food, Vince swiped the plate from under Leon's nose and began to chow down, "You think it will be safe to go back yet? Maddie shouldn't be up much longer." In between mouthfuls of cow and cheese, Vince agreed.

"Yeah, it will be fine. Its not like we haven't heard it all before. We'll just sneak in and hope for the best."

* * *

Letty straddled Dom, his hand caressing her back. With the light from outside gently highlighting her face, he wondered what had ever possessed him to leave. She was beautiful beyond words. Her hair, her eyes, her lips, that body. Every curve in its rightful place. Her stomach toned to perfection, encased in her silky smooth caramel skin. He ran his other hand up her face. Turning her head slightly, Letty kissed his palm.

"What're you thinking?" She questioned. He sat up and gently placed a kiss on her collarbone.

"I need to show you something." They slowly moved off the sofa, both with a little reluctance.

He ushered her into the yard and she drew back in genuine shock. The yard was delicately decorated in an array of candles, which flickered slightly in the cool breeze, and strings of lights. On the table was a vase of flowers and places were set for two people. As she stared at the scene in front of her, Dom flicked on the CD player. The honeyed vocals of Alicia Keys began to fill the air.

"What's this for?" She eyed him suspiciously. She was not used to overt romantic gestures like this one. Before he went away, they had become few and far between, not that she had really missed them.

"What, I can't even make dinner for the woman I love?" Letty stared at him. It was the first time she had heard him say that in years. That final space left in the hole he had refilled by returning slowly closed.

"I suppose I am hungry, worked up an appetite and all that." She smirked.

"I meant it Letty." Dom said quietly, as if raising his voice above a certain level would ruin the mood. She smiled at him.

"I know." He stared at her, confused as to why she hadn't given him an answer. According to Vince, she had answered right away when John had asked, and here she was now torturing him, delaying her response. He walked away from her, towards the table picking at the petal of one of the roses.

"Dom," He looked up and saw her face smiling back at him, "you already know the answer."

* * *

A/N: Ok, so it's a little on the fluffy side, sue me! Everyone needs a little fluff once in a while. Plus, this chapter was written whilst I listened to a playlist of love songs, the chapter title being one of my favourites. Keep the reviews coming guys. I love to know what you think. The original version of this story was so short that I am kind of sorry I posted it on MRU. However, I hope you are liking this version. I know I am enjoying writing it. This is primarily Letty centred and will stay that way, but both Leon and Vinces storylines will develop in the upcoming chapters, and obviously Dotty. I probably won't be able to update for a while as I am away for the next week, but I will be back. Oh, and thanks to ames 449, who has helped me and put up with me whilst I write this. It is greatly appreciated. Happy Easter people!


	19. I Bet you Look Good On The Dancefloor

Chapter 19

As Leon carried Maddie up to her room, Vince noticed the array of clothes strewn across the living room and the soft music filling the air. He wondered whether it would be safe to venture through to the back of the house. Plucking up the courage, he stepped into the kitchen. The remnants of a chilli were on the worktop. He moved over to the window and saw the two of them sitting next to each other, laughing. He was happy to note that despite the number of clothes that seemed to litter the floor, they were dressed to a certain degree of decency. Leon walked up behind him,

"Looks like things went well." He stated. Vince laughed before ushering his friend out of the kitchen.

* * *

It had been the early hours of the morning before the couple had decided to leave their little al fresco boudoir. As Letty opened her eyes on the new day, she watched Dom's stomach rise and fall in a uniform manner. Her hand caressed his chest and she stared at the new ring that garnered her finger. It was a lot simpler than the one she had worn for the previous two and a half years, but it was more her. Knowing that he had picked it out four years ago and had kept it all this time made it even more perfect. She wandered over to Maddie's crib and smiled down at her daughter. She was happy at how well she had adjusted to the move.

Moving out of the room towards the bathroom, she could hear Leon and Vince muttering about something from downstairs. She diverted her walk and followed the noise.

"Seriously, we need a night out. Dom and Let are back together and need to celebrate." Vince yapped, causing Leon to laugh,

"I think they did that last night dawg, and the night before, and probably tonight too." Letty, who had paused on the stairs, felt the need to protest but knew there was little point, he was right after all.

"That's not the point. We need to kick back and chill. It's been crazy this last week. Plus, after last night, I think it will do John some good to spend some time with his daughter."

"How do you know about last night?" Letty questioned making her presence known. She agreed with them that John should spend sometime with Maddie before he left. Yet, she was confused as to how they knew when she hadn't seen them since before they had left the previous night. Vince stared at her before filling her in on how they met him at the café and how he had skulked off, "Yeah, well he won't be round for much longer."

"How come?" Leon asked as he spread a thin layer of peanut butter on to the toasted bread.

"He's leaving for Chicago soon. Probably for the best. So yeah, your plan for this evening, it sounds good. I'll give him a call in a bit." She added as she left the room for her original destination.

Letty strolled into the bedroom to find Dom talking to Maddie.

"Are you still coming to the garage today?" She questioned, "Vince wants us to go out tonight, so she'll be at her dad's tonight."

"Yeah, sounds good. Maddie coming with us today?"

"No, she normally goes to John's parents on a Tuesday. I don't need Irene down my throat on top of everything else." Dom smiled at her and was about to speak, but was cut off as Letty picked Maddie up, "You go down with Le and Vince, and I will be there in about an hour or so." She made it known that the plan was set in stone and Dom should not even try to object. Nodding his head, he watched as she left the room.

After phoning John to make sure he was fine with looking after Maddie, she headed off to his parents house. As she drove down the highway, she glanced down at Maddie who was sleeping peacefully. She laughed gently as she realised her daughter was becoming a little too comfortable around cars. The sound of an engine was able to soothe her to sleep. 'Thank goodness you won't be able to drive for another 15 years,' she thought to herself, though she knew if she was anything like her mother, Maddie would be driving long before her 16th birthday. She slipped her sunglasses down from her hair and covered her eyes as the morning sun shone brightly through the windshield. Sighing contentedly, she accelerated a little. Nothing too severe and nothing that would endanger her baby, but enough to make the city zip by a little faster. Though she was in no hurry to get to their house, knowing a confrontation was likely, her need to edge past the speed limit was always too much for her.

Letty pulled into the small residential area and parked up. Carrying Maddie up to the front door, she knocked gently.

"Letty, we weren't expecting you." Robert greeted her as he answered the door.

"It's Tuesday."

"Yeah, but after everything with John, we just assumed. Well, I guess we assumed wrong." Letty bit her tongue as she thought of the old adage, "Come in, come in." As she entered the house, the lighting highlighted her face and showed off the red mark that crossed her cheek.

"Good Lord, who did that?" Irene spoke as she spotted the sight.

"Your son." Letty spat out, never one to refrain from telling the truth. Irene looked aghast at the information, clearly indicating that he had failed to mention that when he had told them about the break-up. For once, it looked as if Irene was on her side.

"That explains a lot." She offered before noticing the ring on Letty's finger, "See you are still wearing his ring though."

"It's not his." She snapped as she handed the carry cot and baby bag over to Robert, "John is having Maddie tonight. I'm not sure when he will be here, but it won't be too late." Irene nodded her head, happy at the fact that despite everything she hadn't lost out on seeing her granddaughter. Letty left the house and was soon heading back down towards the garage.

* * *

Dom noted how his first day had progressed in a quite mundane fashion. He was a little wary of the two new employees, but having been reassured by Letty that they were legit, he eased up on them. Slightly. As Letty pulled across the door to lock up, she watched as the two of them sloped out towards the road.

"Yo Xander, Joel, we're headed out tonight. You want to come?" She offered. Having never really socialised with them outside the garage, she felt she should at least make the effort. Xander called back to her with a smile.

"Thanks Let, but I have to babysit my little sister tonight."

"Joel?"

"Yeah, sorry I can't tonight. Maybe some other time though." Letty shrugged as the two of them left in their respective cars.

"What? We not fun?" Vince stated with an expression of pure bewilderment as he watched Letty and Dom get into her car. Leon ambled over to Vince and reassured him that he was fun and not to worry his sweet little head.

They arrived back at the house in rather prompt fashion. Dom stepped out of the car, shaking his head.

"Since when have you and Leon played jump the red light?" He growled, though it was clear he was amused rather than pissed off. Letty laughed and guided him into the house, slowly followed by Leon and Vince.

"We gonna head out at about 11 p.m., Vince?" Dom questioned.

"Yeah, sounds good to me. Thought we could order pizza tonight. The usual alright?" He asked, having failed to notice that the couple had ascended the stairs and were now out of ear shot. He looked into the living room to find it deserted. Even Leon had done a disappearing act, "Fine then, I will order the usual." He mumbled as he picked up the phone and pressed the relevant speed dial button.

* * *

After devouring several 15" pizzas of various toppings, Vince and Letty challenged each other to a burping contest.

"You know I always win." Letty bragged.

"That's because Leon is always the judge and for some reason he thinks yours are better. Now Dom's back, the judging will be fair." Vince crowed.

"Sorry bro, as much as I would like to be fair, there are certain things that Let can hold back on if I don't side with her, so I am staying out of this one." Dom remarked causing both Letty and Leon to taunt Vince. Sulking, he stood up and wandered out of the room, "Truthfully though, you have a disgustingly amazing ability." He laughed as Letty smiled at him before leaving to get changed.

She slipped on her old leather skirt and tight white tee before running her hands through her hair and shaking it out. She had never been one to take her time with getting ready. After slicking on a layer of mascara, she put on her boots and wandered out of the door.

"Shit woman, that was quick. Damn, I forgot how good you looked in that skirt." Dom growled seductively, his tongue moistening his bottom lip.

"Guys, I know you're still in the honeymoon period and everything, but please I've just eaten." Both of them glared at Leon who shrugged innocently. Vince stumbled into the room and immediately noticed the scowls emitting from Dom and Letty towards Leon.

"Ready?" He asked breaking up the mini staring out contest, "Letty so won that one." He laughed, to which the three of them could only respond by staring at him bemused, "Come on. We need to get liquored up."

The line outside the club was long and eager. It was an unusually cold summer evening. Letty sighed as she walked past a number of women, all bouncing up and down in an effort to keep warm. She was thankful for small mercies, and if that meant being shielded from the cold by Dom, then so be it. Vince strolled up to the front on the queue, whispered something in the ear of one of the bouncers and before they realised it, they were in.

"Get the drinks in, V." Letty shouted over the noise of the club. He nodded and wandered over to the bar with Leon whilst Dom and Letty headed straight for the dance floor.

The bar was surrounded by an array of scantily clad women. Vince eyed up a few whilst Leon scanned the floor.

"What you drinking, bro?" Vince questioned having already ordered his own beer.

"Usual. Remember no vodka for Let. I ain't spending tomorrow cleaning out my car." Vince laughed as he remembered her last encounter with vodka. It was not pretty for any of them. Four years later, they would still bring up the incident when she started bragging that she could hold her own against any man in the drinking stakes.

"So that's three coronas and a tequila tonic." Vince turned back to his friend, "Seriously, where do those two get their energy from?" Leon laughed as they watched Dom and Letty on the dance floor.

"Shit, I think in some countries that is considered porn." Leon stated as he turned back to the bar, "Drinks up, V. Pay the lady." Vince however was busy gawking at another couple on the dance floor.

"We need to leave Le." He stated darkly as Leon coughed up the money to an ever impatient bartender.

"Why? We just got here. And I don't think it will be easy budging those two from their spot." Vinces eyes' watched as the other couple he had sighted walked to the bar. He felt his heartbeat quicken slightly, unsure whether it was due to the guy who could string him up by his balls, or the woman who he still missed after all these years, "V, blink. Eyes need moisture."

"Vince!" The woman called out before thinking. It was an expression of both delight and nervousness. Her partner looked up at him and smiled broadly.

"Guess it really wasn't a long time. What are the chances? Nat Cornell," he said as he extended a handshake out to Leon, "and this is Sofia." Sofia and Vince shared a glance as Leon tried to understand what was going on.

"You look good, Sofia." He added, before noticing the two rings on her wedding finger. His heart deflated a little. She replied with the same remark. After a short pause Leon twigged who she was, who the guy was and why Vince had been so desperate to leave. As if they were psychic, Dom and Letty made an appearance albeit in a slightly dishevelled state.

"You again." Nat spoke as he saw Letty, "So this is the man brave enough to handle you." Dom looked at him with contempt before feeling Letty's reassuring hand stroke his back. She smiled at him,

"And I guess this is the woman stupid enough to be with you." She teased, before noticing Vince's reaction. Realising a change of subject was in need, she grabbed the drinks and started supping back, "See you remembered vodka is not my friend."

"I am exactly the same way with tequila. Bad things happen to me when I drink that stuff. Hi, I'm Sofia. You must be Letty, right?"

"Yeah, that obvious. This is Dom and Leon, and I know you know Vince." She said with a subtlety that only the two girls noted. Sofia smiled back softly.

Letty noticed that Sofia was a lot different from most of the girls Vince had previously dated. She was soft, feminine in a very delicate way, long dark hair, tall, pretty, very pretty. She reminded her of someone but couldn't quite work out who.

"Mia!," Leon suddenly burst out, causing all five of them to stare at him. Back tracking as fast as possible, he mumbled an excuse, "You haven't told Mia, Dom. She still thinks Let's with John. She will be thrilled by this news." He knew he wasn't convincing anyone but Nat. It was almost as if Sofia knew the real reason behind his outburst.

"I have to use the bathroom. Letty could you show me where they are?" Not one for girly talk, especially with someone she hardly knew, she motioned the light in the far corner. Dom nudged her in the back, pushing her forward slightly. Taking the hint, she lead her to the back of the club.

"I know what he meant when he said Mia." Sofia stated meekly as they walked in to the dimly lit bathroom. She tried to hide her embarrassment, but failed, "I knew I was a replacement before I got with him." Letty stared at her, slightly bemused.

"And you were ok with that?"

"Yeah. We had fun together. Who wouldn't fuck him?"

"You're asking the wrong person, girl. He's like my big, stupid brother. But I am sure someone would agree with you."

"Yeah, sorry. He spoke a lot about all of you. You and Dom have been together for a while now, yeah?"

"Second time round, just three days. He left for three years," Sofia looked at her with shock in her eyes, "But we're good now. Got engaged last night."

"Congratulations. I saw you on the dance floor before. You two are just scarily perfect for each other. I mean, he looks at you as if there is no one else in the room." Letty let a small appreciative laugh escape her mouth.

"Yeah, we're good. And he is great with Maddie." She caught the look of confusion in Sofia's face, "Maddie's my daughter. Wanna see a picture of her?" Like a proud mother, she drew the picture that she had shown Dom just over a week before, out of her pocket.

"She is adorable. God, she looks a bit like Dom." Letty laughed

"Yeah, she went through a bit of a bald phase. She was three months old here, she's seven months now."

"That your car too. It's pretty." Sofia uttered, to which Letty nearly broke out in laughter, "I've always wanted to drive. Never got round to it though." Letty looked at her with complete bewilderment. The concept of not driving was foreign to her, "I should really get my licence soon."

"Come on girl. Let's get back to the boys. Unless you do need the toilet, in which case, go right ahead." Sofia laughed and shook her head before leading Letty out of the bathroom.

The music was pounding hard as they re-entered the club. They could see Leon standing away from the other three men, lost in his own world. Vince and Nat seemed to be enjoying an animated conversation, with Dom occasionally chipping in. He spotted Letty and she could have sworn he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Nat, get the champagne in, we have some celebrating to do." Sofia announced, "Looks like there is a wedding on the cards." She grabbed hold of Lettys left arm and displayed the ring to her husband. Nat gave a wide grin before ordering the drinks. The champagne flowed freely and before they realised, two bottles had been knocked back.

"Come on you." Dom smirked as he dragged Letty back to the dance floor. She had little time to deposit her glass on the bar before she felt him grind behind her.

"Vince and Nat behaving?" She shouted, trying to be discreet.

"Yeah. I take it that is the woman." Letty nodded, "She some sort of replacement for my sister? Heads up. We have company." He murmured in her ear shortly before they were joined by Nat and Sofia.

The evening continued to pass in a haze of drinks, dancing and the occasional two minute cool down to catch their breaths. Nat and Sofia left early on, intent on holding Dom to his word with regards to an invitation to the wedding. Their leaving came much to the relief of Vince. When they finally decided to call it a night, they all piled into Leon's car. Letty calling shotgun, she watched the city pass in a blur. Leon glanced back at Dom and Vince in the back, arguing about who was taking up the most room.


	20. Hey Baby

Chapter 20

A gentle knocking at the door forced Letty to wake from her slumber. Climbing out of the bed and stomping downstairs, she laughed at Vince who was passed out on the sofa. Pulling back the door she was confronted by John and Maddie.

"Morning," He greeted her. She smiled weakly at him, "I thought I should tell you first. We've got a buyer for the house. Everything should be sorted before I leave for Chicago on Friday."

"Friday? I thought you weren't going for at least a week yet." John made no attempt to explain to her, "How was Maddie last night?"

"Fine, took her a while to settle, but once she did she was fine. Let, I know we didn't end on a good note, but don't replace me."

"You know I wouldn't. Yeah, Vince and Leon take care of her, and Dom is going to feature high in her life, but you are her father. Just live up to your end of the bargain as well and you don't have to worry." He nodded as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head. He went to kiss Letty, first aiming for her lips before pausing and kissing her cheek.

"By the way, congratulations. I just hope he knows how lucky he is." She smiled warmly as she waved him off and closed the door.

As she strolled into the kitchen Leon came down the stairs, looking slightly worse for wear despite remaining relatively sober the previous night. He poured himself a glass of water before asking if Letty wanted one. She declined, reaching into the baby holdall and taking out a jar of food. As she fed her daughter, she noted Leon smiling to himself.

"Thank god she looks more like you and less like John," he remarked, the glass slowly rising to his lips. Letty looked at him before laughing, "Let, when are you and Dom getting married."

"I don't know. It's not something we have really talked about yet. Why?"

"Just make it soon, yeah?" He stated before leaving the room. Letty looked to him as he left, baffled by his last statement. Her worry was broken however as she heard Maddie coo.

"Da da." She turned to her daughter in surprise before breaking out into the biggest smile.

"Hey baby." Letty said, her face beaming as she looked at her daughter. Dom strolled into the kitchen and noticed the smile on her face. She looked up at him as he planted a kiss on her lips before softly stroking Maddie's head. He opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of orange juice, "She just said her first word, Dom." He glanced down at his two girls and grinned. Vince walked into the room, rubbing his left eye with the palm of his hand and yawning.

"You look like crap, bro." Dom remarked. Vince scowled at him.

"Hey guys, I think I am gonna have the day off. You be alright without me?" Letty questioned. Both Dom and Vince nodded before Vince moved his ass out of the kitchen.

"Let, I was thinking. Why wait?" She glanced up at him, "I mean, I have been waiting for so long, I don't think I can wait much longer."

"You been talking to Leon as well?" She asked, but realising from his blank expression that he didn't have a clue what she meant, "Never mind. Yeah, I think that is a great idea. Mia finishes school in another week. Damn, she still doesn't know. Pass us the phone would ya." Dom did as instructed.

"Hey Mia, how ya livin'? Good. I've got some news you might like. Me and your brother are back together." She held the phone away from her ear, "Yeah, and we are engaged," Once again she felt the need to move the phone away, "So you're coming home in a week. Right, well we'll see you then. And Mia, calm down." She passed the phone back to Dom so he could put it back on the receiver.

"She was happy, I take it." He laughed before placing the glass in the sink, "See you later on mami."

Letty picked up Maddie and took her into the living room. As they played with the random stuffed animals, her mind was taken back to the brief conversation she had had with Leon earlier on. 'What did he mean?' Sure, she was hoping it would be soon, but it was almost as if he needed it to be over and done with. Everything about him recently had struck her as being out of sorts. She couldn't put her finger on what the problem was though but she knew she would have to find out, one way or another. As she sat with Maddie sitting in-between her legs, she looked down on her daughter and smiled.

"Maybe he's just a sucker for a wedding?" She said softly, letting a small laugh escape.

* * *

The day wearied on with no particular rush. Maddie had woken early from her afternoon nap, much to the dismay of Letty. She had hoped Maddie would have slept a little longer and allowed her to have her own little siesta. Commenting on herself being too old to be staying out late, she picked Maddie up and brought her back downstairs. As they played with the numerous toys that littered the floor, Letty heard the back door swing open. Vince meandered into the living room and flopped onto the couch, much to her surprise.

"You're home early. You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Dom been working you too hard?" He shook his head, "Last night screw you over, yeah?" Vince gave her a bemused look before realisation hit him and he admitted defeat.

"Thought I'd left her behind, y'know. Hadn't really thought about her since I came back home. Then she had to show up and look so amazing."

"So like Mia." Letty offered, to which Vince scowled, "What? I'm just saying?"

"Guess that is my type. No offence to Mi, but Sofia was," He paused as he pondered the right word. Deciding against going further, he looked back at Letty, "Not gonna cry over it though. She is headed back to Vegas in a few days, and she is married to a guy that could knock Dom out." Letty scoffed at the assertion, "Seriously, he is one scary guy when he is angry."

"Well, she seemed nice enough." He glanced at her in disbelief.

"You do realise that is the first time you have actually had a good word to say about someone I have dated."

"That's because you usually go for those racer ho's and you don't date them. And anyway, that's not the first time. I don't have a problem with you and Roxy."

"Guess so. Though she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. I haven't seen her in months. So Dom was saying the wedding is gonna happen soon." Letty nodded.

"Yeah, probably in the next couple of weeks. No point waiting around. Just hope that we have more luck than when me and John tried."

"Worked in your favour though." Vince stated, "Do you know where Leon is off to tomorrow?"

"Not a clue. Forgot to ask. But the boy deserves a day off away from us lot every now and then. That guy works harder than any of us." Letty replied. Vince laughed to himself as he stacked the building blocks on top of each other. Looking at him, she couldn't help grinning. 'Its amazing how a set of toys can keep a grown man happy,' she thought.

The two of them were absent-mindedly messing on the floor when Dom and Leon stalked in. They had been sharing some joke when they spotted the three of them on the floor.

"Sometimes I wonder who the kid is in this house." Dom responded as he felt a building block chip off his shaven head. Letty stared at him, trying to look innocent before pointing at Vince, "Seriously Le, how have you coped with these two?" He asked not realising that he had already left the room.

"You had better shut it, boy." Letty scolded him with a scowl. Laughing to himself, Dom walked into the kitchen and away from the playschool.

He grabbed a beer from the fridge and looked out of the window onto the yard. The remnants from the other night still littered the area. Taking a large mouthful of the ice cold drink, he pondered the last couple of weeks. How he had got back in touch with Mia, how she had convinced him that coming back would be the right decision yet he had spent the first week back regretting it. As he swallowed, the corners of his mouth curled into a grin. For what it was worth, that week he spent watching Letty with another guy only served to remind him how much he loved her. Everything was falling into place in a way he could never imLettyagined. For the first time in a long while, he finally felt as if he had been dealt a good hand in life.

"Everything alright, Dominic?" Vince questioned as he reached into the fridge for his own beer. Turning to see his friend, the wide grin still plastered across his face, he replied,

"Couldn't be better."

"Let, I think you may need to ration Dom's happy pills." Vince jeered before feeling Dom's hand crack the back of his head, "And swap them for some compassionate ones." He uttered as he rubbed the wounded area.

* * *

A/N: Filler chapters. A necessary evil. Anyway,I have the subsequent chapters written, but I am going to pace posting them as I have a lot of Uni deadlines approaching and writing may have to take a backseat for a while. So rather than having you waiting too long between chapters, I will try to stagger them so you won't notice a lengthy break. Anyway, hope you are still enjoying this. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	21. Fortunate Fool

Chapter 21

The room was a delicate shade of lilac, a row of chairs lined three of the walls and a counter was protruding from the fourth. He walked in and up to the desk. The woman behind was old, early fifties perhaps, with dull brown hair highlighted with flecks of grey. She wore her glasses on the bridge of her nose and had an air of superiority surrounding her.

"Erm, I have a 2:15 p.m. appointment." She looked up at the man, before nodding and pointing to the chairs.

"Take a seat." She uttered, a sudden wave of sympathy creeping through her voice. As he sat in the room, his mind wandered through the various scenarios that could occur. It could be good news, in which case no one would need to know. It could be the same news, same outcome as before. He refused to let his mind contemplate the final option. There was no way back from there.

His fingers traced along the side of the chair nervously before he began tapping them on his thighs. His left leg was bobbing up and down. He hated these places. They always smelt so sterile and unwelcoming, despite attempts to make them homely. His eyes flitted around the room, gazing at the various posters and pieces of artwork. On the other side, a young woman was talking to her daughter as she played in front of her. The girl was only about five or six years old, but she was a real chatterbox. He smiled warmly as he thought of Letty and how that would be her in a few years time with Maddie. Though no doubt the conversation would be less about Barbie dolls and more geared towards a cars engine. He was able to relax slightly for a moment before the door pushed open. An older gentleman left, putting on his sunglasses before stepping out into the California sun. His demeanour suggested he had received good news.

"Leon Michaels. You can come in now." Leon stood up from the chair, took a deep breath and reluctantly followed the doctor into the adjacent room.

* * *

Vince threw Dom a wrench, but aimed a little too wide and it clattered onto the floor.

"Hand." Dom emphasised his point by pointing to his own before moving it towards the floor, "Floor." Vince shot him a smart ass stare.

"Letty, I'm about to knock out the new guy. That ok with you?" Vince shouted. A raucous laugh crept out from under one of the cars, as she saw Dom's feet pass by. Sliding out from underneath, she watched as Dom hit Vince upside the head before wiping her hands on a rag.

"Hey guys, do you think you could hold out on killing each other for a while whilst I go get some lunch as I'm going to leave Maddie here. She's fast asleep and I don't want to wake her."

"Of course." Dom replied as he walked towards her, "Thank you. It's good to be back." He smiled at her before kissing the top of her head.

"See you in a bit."

As she left, Dom wandered into the office and picked up Maddie. Carrying her into the main garage, he placed himself down into the chair.

"Wait now. No slacking off." Vince moaned from the other side of the garage.

"Come on, Letty's gone to get lunch, those other two guys have gone on a parts run. Having five minutes will not hurt anyone." Vince sighed in defeat and headed over to where Dom was sitting. Maddie was gently sleeping in his arms, "Surprised she can sleep through all the noise."

"She can sleep anywhere, that one." Vince replied with a degree of affection in his voice. He looked at his friend and decided to ask the question that had been bothering him since he arrived back, "So where did you go, Dominic? You were gone for three years, and not a peep from you. Three years is a hell of a long time, brother."

"Anywhere and everywhere. Headed to Mexico first. Stayed there for a while. Then just floated around. Worked as and when. Never really settled anywhere, never wanted to. I knew I would come back one day." Vince laughed and shook his head, "I know, it was stupid of me. I lost out on so much but I am not going anywhere now. I belong here with Let and Maddie." Vince noticed how much love he had for Letty's daughter and smiled. He knew she would never have to worry about John not being around.

* * *

As Letty exited the store, she noticed Leon's car parked on the opposite side of the street outside a restaurant. Deciding that Dom and Vince wouldn't miss her for a while, she crossed the road and entered the restaurant. It was a strange place and not somewhere they would necessarily stop at. Leon had his back to the door but she could tell he was lost in his own little world. She perched next to him and waited a few moments before speaking.

"You had the day off to eat on your own?" Leon jumped about three feet in the air as he became aware of her presence. "Jumpy. You alright Le?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry was just thinking."

"Hey, I got a call from Ryan, the guy with the Celica. He said that he won't be able to pick up that car for another week, said something about something, I forget, but there's no rush to get it finished." As she looked at him she could sense not everything was right. There was something that had been taken away from him, his eyes looked downcast and it was almost as if a rain cloud was perched over him, "So why are you here?" She asked trying delicately to prise some information out of him.

He looked at the table, then at the menu in front of him before turning to look at her. 'There is never going to be a good time,' he thought to himself. His voice attempted to escape his mouth, but he was cut off by Letty's cell ringing violently in her pocket. Grabbing it in an instant, she rolled her eyes to see DOM emblazoned on the screen.

"Can't leave them for two minutes. Hello," Leon stared out of the window as she spoke on the phone, "How the hell did that happen? So you're at the hospital now. Right, well I will be there soon." Leon's eyes were firmly back on his friend, concerned at the mention of the word hospital. She hung up and slipped the phone back into her the pocket of her cargo pants before standing up from the booth.

"Hospital?"

"Yeah, Vince somehow managed to put his hand through one of the windows. I sometimes wonder how that guy gets through each day alive. You coming?" Leon thought for a second before moving to stand. He followed her out of the restaurant and towards his own car, "I'll meet you down there." She hollered as she crossed the road. Leon hoped that this would distract her from asking him any more questions, but as she got into the car she knew that she still had to find out what was going on with him. Both cars peeled out at the same time, Leon being gracious and letting her in front of him.

They entered the emergency room and saw Dom sitting with Maddie on his knee, talking to her. Letty wandered over to him with Leon slowly trailing behind her.

"So come on then, how did it happen?" He shrugged as he handed her Maddie, "People don't just put their arms through windows."

"I went out of the workshop with Maddie for some fresh air. I was telling her about the cars and the next thing I know Vince is screaming blue murder. I come back in, his hand is through the office window and blood is dripping everywhere. Then he passed out, I called for an ambulance, Xander?" He paused for a second, trying to figure out if he was right with the name. Letty nodded and he continued, "Xander came back in, the ambulance came, we came down here."

"So Xander is at the garage still?" Leon questioned.

"Yeah, and the other guy. I think they took Vince to x-ray or something. Was told to wait here." Letty slumped down next to him and sighed loudly, "It was pretty sick." Letty suddenly sat up straight.

"Which arm?" She asked

"His left. I have no idea what he was doing, but it was a mess." Dom replied as he watched Leon wearily sit down on the chair opposite, "You ok, bro?" Leon nodded a little too enthusiastically trying to throw him off the scent. Thankfully, it hadn't aroused any suspicion.

They had been sitting in chairs for over two hours. Several trips to the vending machine had ensued and Leon was slowly getting wired off the six cups of coffee he had drunk. His legs twitched incessantly

"What's taking so long?" Leon pondered out loud, echoing the thoughts of both Dom and Letty. Simultaneously they shrugged prompting him to shake his head in amusement. At that moment, a nurse approached them and asked that they follow her. Dom slapped Leon on the arm as the walked behind her.

"She's barely legal. Don't go there." He whispered, or at least he thought he had whispered. The nurse turned and threw an unimpressed look in Dom's direction.

"22 actually, but don't worry, I'm married." Letty couldn't help but laugh. There was something satisfying about seeing Dom being shot down, though she would never admit it to his face. They approached room 214 and could see Vince through the narrow window in the door. "Your friend, he's a bit tetchy at times. Not a fan of pain I am guessing. We had to sedate him so he will be asleep for a few more hours. The lacerations in his arm were deep and it's likely he will be scarred. Though having seen his other arm, they won't be that bad. He will need to come back in a week or so to make sure everything is alright. Feel free to go in and see him."

Leon pushed open the door and wandered in. Dom was about to follow when he felt Letty's hand grabbed his arm. He looked down at her.

"Something's wrong with Leon. I don't know what it is but before you called it looked like he was about to tell me. Is there any chance you can stay here with Maddie and I will drag him off somewhere?" Dom nodded, a move that surprised Letty a little, "You're acting as if you know."

"No, he hasn't said anything, but he doesn't need to. The guy isn't the same. I know I am no expert and I haven't been back for long, but there is something wrong with him. He looks, I'm not sure. He looks ill, very ill." Letty nervously smiled. If Dom had noticed in the short time he had been back then she suddenly felt extremely guilty. How had she missed it? She had lived with the guy for eight years, he had saved her life after the heist and him and Vince were the closest thing she had to a family. Dom noticed the worry on her face and placed his arm around her shoulder. They finally entered the room.

Vince looked so peaceful, all dosed up on morphine and sedated. His left arm was in a clean white bandage and placed carefully by his side. Letty pulled up a chair next to Leon and placed Maddie on her knee. She looked at Dom, his expression having turned from a relative calm to one of apprehension.

"Trust him to do something stupid." Leon laughed, though neither Dom nor Letty had the energy to join him.

"She was saying that he isn't gonna wake for a few hours. I think I might get back to the garage." Letty spoke trying to orchestrate a way to get Leon on his own.

"I'll stay here with Mads, and we can wait till he wakes up. I think I owe some friendly hospital support seen as the last time he was in one of these places I bailed on him." Dom's attempts at lightening the mood failed. Letty and Leon both shot him a look of disdain for having brought up the whole heist situation. Clearing his throat, Dom tried to patch up his faux pas, "So yeah, I don't mind staying here."

"Leon, can you give me a lift? I'm gonna leave my car here so Dom can get home later." He was about to protest, but stopped. He knew better than to argue with Letty, despite everything inside of him screaming out for her to let the issue drop. She passed Maddie over to Dom and walked out of the door, closely followed by a reluctant Leon. As he watched them leave, Dom exhaled loudly.

"So much for being dealt that good hand, eh baby?" He wearily stated.


	22. When My Anger Starts To Cry

A/N: I know I updated earlier today and I know I said I would pace them as I had deadlines coming up. However, my muse has been in overdrive today and I have written quite a bit (I have up to c.28 written). Therefore, I thought I would post another chapter. A big thank you to the help ames 449 gave me with certain parts of this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 22

As Leon drove back to the garage, Letty was trying to ask the question on her mind the best way possible. It had taken her about five minutes to even decide whether she wanted to know. Ignorance is bliss, after all. It had reached the point though where knowing was essential. She glanced out of the window, slowly composing her thoughts into sentences. After going over a few different versions, she decided to just ask him outright in its most simple, unambiguous way.

"What gives?" Leon was silent for a minute. He had psyched himself up to tell her in the restaurant a few hours prior to this before that was brought to a halt. Yet now, as he was sitting in his car, driving down the road with her by his side, knowing there was no hasty exit should things go wrong, he was more than a little nervous. He could feel her staring at him. There was some anxiety though in the stare. It wasn't the usual 'you've fucked up and I'm pissed off' stare that he was used to her throwing in Dom's general direction. He'd missed that over the years. Finally he worked up the courage.

"I'm," He stopped. He couldn't do it. Physically saying it was harder than he ever imagined, "I thought I would go to the doctors as I have been feeling shit recently. I guess it's just the worry from that. No one likes the doctors. Nothing is wrong with me though. He gave me a clean bill of health." He rambled on hating himself for lying, for not having the courage to tell her the truth but it was almost as if denial could stop the inevitable. What was worse was that Leon knew instantly that Letty knew it was a lie.

"Bullshit. Leon, I have known you long enough now to know when you are lying to me. You're a shitty liar at best. Tell me the truth." He sighed and pulled up to the kerb. Letty suddenly became increasingly worried.

He stared out of the windshield for a while, taking in all that was in front of him, before exhaling long and hard. He watched as the cars zipped past them, wishing that he could be in any of them if it meant escaping this cell. He contemplated a jail break, but knew that it would amount to nothing. One way or another, he had to tell her.

"I can't talk about it here." He said, his gaze not breaking away from the front. Honesty was a cold hard bitch and he was growing frustrated with his inability to tell her. He dragged his fingers through his hair and for the first time Letty noticed his hands were trembling, "Look, I am dealing with it and I just need you to trust me. Believe me, if you could help, I would be more than happy to let you. But you can't, none of you can, so it's best if I just deal with it the way I need to." Leon yelled at her. Drawing back in surprise at his outburst, Letty was slowly becoming more frustrated with him.

"Whatever the problem is, don't take it out on me? We can help Le."

"You can't, no one can. I've left it too long and there is nothing anyone can do now." A dark realisation descended over Letty. There was an eerie silence in the small space they were seated. Some ominous presence had swept over them as he had uttered those last words. Noticing his gaze was still fixed, staring at some distant object, Letty let her head fall back onto the headrest. She slowly closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what he had just said. Though she didn't want to ask, she felt compelled to do so.

"Le, it's not alright, is it?" She asked, glancing at her friend. Letty could see tears swelling in his eyes. It shocked her, so much so that the ill feeling in the pit of her stomach grew more intense. Leon had never cried. Jesse, Vince, even Dom, all in their time they had at some point cried. But never Leon. She prepared herself for the worse, amassing the strength to be his crutch should he need it, though even that wasn't enough.

"No, it's not," He paused as if formulating the best way to say it. He knew that there was no best way though. He closed his eyes. Taking some steadying breaths to ease his nerves, he slowly reopened them on the world. Without looking at her, he uttered the words that he had feared since he had found out, "Let, I'm gonna die."

"What?" She couldn't let herself believe him.

"They call it acute myelogenus leukaemia," he paused taking a shuddering breath, seemingly gathering his thoughts, before finally speaking again, his voice low "I have cancer Letty, and I ignored it. Even when the doctors said it would only get worse. I had to ignore it. I promised Dom I would look after you, and I wasn't about to leave. I couldn't break that promise. I've known for about six months, just after Maddie was born. Only, it's worse now." Letty stared at him, trying to take in every detail he was saying.

"How much worse?" She asked quietly, unsure she wanted to know the answer.

"There is nothing they can do. Went to the doctors this morning, and it's spread." She could hear his voice cracking, "My body is literally killing itself. I'm dying Let." It was as if in that moment the enormity of it finally sunk in. He broke down. Letty placed her arms around him, not wanting to let him go.

Over an hour had passed before the last tear fell from his eyes. Leon wiped his face and looked at Letty. She herself had been crying. Grabbing onto his hand, she smiled softly at him.

"We're going to get through this. We have to. How long has the doctor given you?" Leon glanced down at his lap. He contemplated lying, but knew there would be no point.

"Letty, I'm going to die. I can feel it. My body is tired."

"No, that's just because of today." She asserted, wanting with every fibre of her being to be right. He shook his head solemnly, "How long Leon?"

"Four to six months, if I am lucky. Apparently it is a really aggressive strain." He replied, allowing himself to laugh for if he didn't he knew he would cry. There was no joy in it though.

"You haven't had any treatment. Surely, if you," She was broken off by Leon's sad gaze,

"I can't Letty. I don't want to become some shadow of what I was. I need to work, I need the cars, and I need to be there for you, and Maddie and Vince. The treatments won't work." Letty didn't want him to be right. She couldn't allow herself to believe he was telling her the truth, "Letty, I need you to promise me something though." She looked at him with crimson eyes, each tear staining her face.

"Anything."

"You can't tell Dom or Vince, or anyone about this. I need to do this my own way." Letty was horrified at his request, "Let," he pressed, his tone verging on desperate, "if they know, everything will change, and right about now the last thing I want, I need, is things to change."

"Leon, you can't be serious." She demanded incredulously, "I can lie to Vince, but you can't expect me to lie to Dom. You know I can't lie to Dom. And besides, he is already suspicious." Leon's eyes pleaded with her to the point where she felt her heart would burst. Reluctantly, she agreed, "But if they find out on their own, I am not to blame." He tried to protest, but knew it would be hopeless. He pulled her into his embrace. As he held her, he felt a small pang of guilt in his heart. Getting her to lie was not the best course of action. At this point though, it was the only option he had. He refused to be looked at with pitying eyes. He knew he was going to die, but he didn't need the constant reminder from everyone he saw.

"Le, let me drive home." He agreed with little persuasion. The extent of his confession had seen him knocked for six, and Letty could see he was absolutely shattered. She wasn't so better herself. As she pulled away towards the house, she called the garage and told Joel to lock up. The rest of the journey was spent in an uncomfortable but necessary silence. Pulling on to the driveway, she turned to Leon. "Everything makes sense now. Leon, we will get through this." His eyes were focussed on everything but her, silent and hopeless. Slowly he looked at Letty.

"I love you, Let. You and Vince are the closest thing I have to a family. For the last nine years, you have been there for me through everything. And now with Dom being back, and Maddie, I am happier than I thought I could be. But I am gonna die and its only a matter of time. I never meant to put this on you and if I could take it back, I would."

"Le, why are you not even trying?" He took hold of her hand.

"Because I can't. Right now, I can do everything I have always done. If I start any sort of treatment, it would be worth nothing and I would spend my final days as someone I am not." She couldn't accept it but understood his reasoning. Leon was not a person who would give up his life. Even if it meant losing his life. From the racing, to his family, the cars, the random girls, if he didn't have them, he was a shell. Anything that took him away from that would kill him. He released his grip on her hand and walked up to the house. Letty sat in the car for a while, contemplating the last hour of her life. She knew that keeping this secret from Dom would not be easy, but it was one she had to do. Taking the key out of the ignition, she followed her friend inside.


	23. Getaway Car

A/N: Thank you for the great comments I received for the last chapter. It was a tough chapter to write so I am glad it paid off and you enjoyed it. Though maybe enjoy is the wrong choice of word, given the circumstances. As ever, the comments are really appreciated. Thanks.

* * *

Chapter 23

The can dropped down from its rack and deposited in the tray. Dom bent down and picked it up, before wearily wandering back to room 214. He had been waiting for five hours for Vince to wake up. It was approaching 11 p.m. and both him and Maddie were shattered. As he passed the waiting room, full of anxious friends and relatives, he caught sight of the television. He sighed at the news of another car crash. This one looked like it had involved some fatalities. A car had been side swiped at an intersection by a truck. His mind was taken back to the last high jacking, how he had seen Letty's car flip over and thrown onto the wasteland by the highway. How in that moment he had had to tell Leon to go back and get her. Despite every fibre in his being saying he should be the one to go back, he knew that Vince needed him as well.

He flipped the tab on the can and sipped back the cool liquid.

"You want some baby?" He asked Maddie as he held her in his arms, "Come on sweetheart, lets see what mami packed." Dom pushed open the door of the room. Vince was still sleeping peacefully, oblivious to his surroundings. As he rustled through the bag, he heard a cough coming from the bed. Glancing round, he spotted Vince waking up.

"Where am I?" He asked groggily.

"Hospital. Nice manoeuvre you pulled before. Just how did you end up with your arm through the window?"

"Who knows bro. One moment I was resting on the frame, the next I was through the window." He tried to demonstrate his action, but winced at the pain that shot through his arm. Sighing resignedly, he rolled his eyes up to the ceiling.

"Well, you were lucky. Just cut your arm up. Letty and Le went back to the garage. Nurse says you have to stay in here tonight. Apparently you can be a bit of a handful when you are in pain." Dom laughed to himself as he set Maddie down on his knee. She yawned as he bounced her up and down.

"You can go brother. I'll be fine here, and she looks like she should be in her bed."

"Its alright. I'll keep you company for a while. Hospitals can be lonely places." Without saying anymore, Vince understood what he meant.

* * *

Leon was in the kitchen by the time Letty had entered the house. Busily preparing a sandwich, he didn't hear her come into the room.

"So what do I tell him?" She asked quietly, "He knows I was about to talk to you and I need it to be believable if I am going to go along with this idea of yours."

"Tell him I have, I dunno, allergies and I haven't been eating enough iron." Letty was sceptical, "Let, I can't allow things to change."

"And what happens when you get worse? You gonna say that it's me overworking you."

"If I have to." He added, trying to make light of the situation. He failed miserably, noticing the pained look on Letty's face. "I will tell them, but when I am ready." She sighed long and hard, before reaching into the fridge. Leon sidled out of the kitchen, turned on the TV and plonked himself down on the sofa.

'Police today are calling for witness' following the fatal car crash that occurred in Glendale. The crash which involved a large pickup truck and a car happened at 6 p.m. The driver of the car was killed instantly, whilst the pick up truck driver remains in a critical condition…' Letty wandered into the room as a picture of the crash was flashed on the screen, 'The names of the victims have not been released, but police believe the car may have been stolen. It is also claimed the driver of the vehicle was over the limit at the time of the crash. More news when we get it, back to you Andrew.' The calm was disturbed by someone hammering at the door. After Leon made no attempt to move, Letty sighed and strolled over to it.

Pulling back the door, she was greeted by Nat.

"Nat, what are you doing here?" He was out of breath with fury in his eyes. Immediately, Letty knew that something was amiss and the only thing that could explain it was that he had found out somehow, "Where's Sofia?"

"Where is he? Cavalla, where is he?"

"He's not here. He's in hospital, had an accident at work. Why?"

"Everything alright, Let?" Leon asked as he walked up behind her, "Hey Nat."

"She took my car. Grabbed her stuff and just left me. Where is he?" Letty recalled her amusement at Sofia's confession.

"Wait, why would she take your car, Sofia can't drive."

"You think I don't know that!" He screamed at her. The fury in his eyes was intensifying with every passing second. Yet, there was something else lingering there, a certain suffering, "He killed her." Letty stared at him in confusion. A face mimicked by Leon who by this time had placed himself to the left of Letty.

"What the hell are you talking about?" As she questioned him, the newscaster recapped the headlines. Nat pointed to the TV,

"That was Sofia. She's dead. And he killed her." Nat shouted as he turned back to Letty. Her face gave away her guilt causing Nat to stop, "You knew didn't you? You let me buy him drinks and you knew all along that he had been screwing my wife. Where is he?" Leon put out his hand and grabbed Nat's arm, "Get off." His arm came up and violently pushed Leon away. He fell to the ground, hitting his head on the corner of the table. Seeing him on the floor, Nat's actions prompted Letty to fly into a rage.

"Calm the fuck down. He did not kill her. She died in an accident. Look man, it happened, but it was a long time ago and you can't blame V for this." Letty shouted. Nat grabbed both her upper arms, "Get the fuck off me. This is not gonna help. Now leave."

"Not until you tell me where he is." He demanded, still gripping her tightly. Vince had been right. The guy had some exceptional strength. Resorting to the only sure fire way any man would be prompted to react, she brought her knee up into his groin and he rapidly loosened his hold.

"Get off me." She stated firmly. Letty bent down to check on Leon. He stared up at her and she spotted the gash on his forehead, "You alright, man?" Leon nodded as she wiped away some of the blood from his injury. She glanced up to the see the entrance to the house vacant of any person. Cursing to herself, she grabbed her cell out of her pocket and dialled Dom's number.

"Since when does he switch his phone off?" She cursed.

"Hospital policy. Phone the hospital, they may be able to help." Leon offered, slowly rising to his feet.

* * *

The hospital room was a scene of relative calm as Dom and Vince spoke of old times. Maddie was asleep in Dom's arms whilst Vince was adjusting to using his right arm again. After the accident, he had strengthened his left arm after finding his right arm became painful after a short while. Now he was stuck with using it again.

"Do you think Letty will let me have some time off?" He laughed. Dom gave him a wry smile. The moment was soon broken.

The door slammed into the wall and an irate man stormed in.

"Nat!" Vince yelped before he felt the force of a fist cross his face.

"Jesus, what was that for?" Dom shouted as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He felt helpless, but knew that he couldn't put Maddie down and would not for the world enter the fray still holding her. He moved to the door and shouted for anyone in calling distance. "Nat, calm down." Dom called out, almost begging him to stop. A number of staff rushed into the room and restrained the tall man. Vince lay on the bed crying out in anguish. His face was bleeding from the ferocity of the attack, a bruise had immediately started to form around his left eye.

"You killed her. You bastard." Nat screamed as he was escorted from the room.

"What the fuck was that about?" Dom shouted at his friend, unable to contain his anger. Maddie started to cry in his arms and he promptly left the room. Reclining back, his heart beat slowly returning to a regular pace, Vince growled in frustration and pain.

An hour had passed before they returned to the room. Vince's wounds had been stitched up and the blood that had lingered on his face wiped away, but it could not hide the fact he had taken a serious thrashing.

"What was that about?" Dom questioned. Vince looked away from his friend. He had been informed of the car crash and now knew that Nat had found out everything.

"I'm sorry." He uttered quietly. Exasperated, Dom replied,

"Vince, he could have killed you. He could have hurt Maddie. Do you ever think?"

"Sofia's dead, bro. She was killed earlier on. She told him, ran out and got into a car crash." Dom was silent for a moment, before looking at Vince. He could tell that the news had hit him hard. Holding his friends gaze, Vince slowly spoke again, "Where is he now?" Sighing, Dom's demeanour softened slightly and he afforded a small smile in his friends direction.

"I think this is called a happy coincidence. He was just arrested. Apparently, he's not so innocent." Vince stared at him, puzzled, "I was talking to one of the nurses and Cornell had several warrants out for his arrest. This display pushed him straight into the arms of the authorities." Vince let out an audible sigh of relief. He knew what the guy was capable of, had seen it first hand when he worked for him. Vince paused though as he pondered Dom's utterance.

"Talking to one of the nurses?" He asked incredulously. Glaring back at him, Dom couldn't believe what he was being accused of.

"Yeah V, I hit on a woman whilst I was holding the daughter of the woman I love. Shit Vince, give me some credit." Vince shrugged his shoulders and slid further down the bed.

Dom walked back over to the chair. He ran his hand over his head and brought it to rest on the back of his neck. The door pushed open and both of the men jumped before realising it was just Letty. She walked over to Dom and picked up Maddie, who had fallen asleep once more. She looked at the two of them with dismay and proceeded to leave the room. Vince glanced at Dom before watching him follow her out.

"Letty," He called as she walked down the corridor, "Letty wait up." She said nothing and he was forced to follow her outside. Catching up to her, he grabbed her arm and she flinched. They stepped out of the way as a few people passed them. Standing near the wall, Dom smiled at her, his hand still gripping her arm.

"Let go Dom. Maddie needs to be in bed." She said with no effort to conceal her anger. Realising she wasn't prepared to discuss the matter, he let go of her and watched her leave. "Go back in, Vince needs you as his bodyguard."

"But…" He called out, trying to explain what had happened, before realising it was too late. As she rounded the corner, he solemnly watched her leave.

* * *

Letty drove onto the drive of the house. She was reluctant to let Maddie out of her sight, but knew that this was the safest place her daughter could be given the circumstances. It was the early hours of the morning, but she had no option. Knocking at the door, she hoped he wouldn't be in bed. The porch light came on and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her temper had simmered slightly thanks to the drive over.

"Letty, what's wrong?" John asked as he saw her in the dim light. He could immediately tell something was amiss, in spite of the fact it was the early hours of the morning. Naively, he believed that this was the moment she had realised she had made a mistake.

"I need you to look after Maddie tonight. There has been a bit of trouble with Vince and I think it would be best if she is with you." He agreed and took hold of his daughter. Realising no reunion was on the cards, his mood soured a little.

"You going to pick her up later. The removal men will be here at 11 a.m." Letty nodded and kissed Maddie goodbye.

Jumping into her car, she was soon back at her own house. Leon was still sitting at the kitchen table where she had left him over an hour earlier. He pushed a beer in her direction and sighed. Silence descended on the room. Both of them were exhausted and needed to sleep, but they knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. They were wired on adrenaline and not the good kind that came from racing. Leon brushed his hand across his forehead, feeling the raised cut caused by his earlier fall. It had taken a long while for it to stop bleeding and he was feeling drained. Letty rested her head in her hands, staring at the swirls in the wood, noting how one particular swirl looked like an elephant, such was the weariness of her mind. They heard the sound of Leon's car pull up on the drive and glanced at each other.

"Letty," Dom's voice breaking the silence. She stood up from the table and walked out of the kitchen before he could see her, "Le, where's Let?"

"In bed. She's exhausted dawg. Leave her alone tonight, yeah?"

"Where's Maddie?"

"At her dads." Dom looked hurt at the revelation. He sat down in the recently vacated chair. He could tell she hadn't long left the room, the warmth still emanating from the seat, but he decided to heed Leon's words. He'd already felt a precursor to her wrath earlier in the evening and despite not feeling her full fury for many years, he could recall it distinctly. He glanced at his friend, noticing the gash on his forehead.

"How did you get that cut on your head?"

"That would be a present from Vince's friend. Cracked my head against the table. I'm going to bed." Leon stated as he sloped off up stairs. Dom sat in the relative darkness, the only illumination coming from the back yard light.

As Leon approached his bedroom door, he spotted Letty leaning against the frame.

"I guess it's your lucky day. With this happening, I doubt he's going to be asking questions anytime soon. But Le," She spoke quietly, pretty certain Dom was not listening in, but making sure it was just between those two nonetheless, "you have to tell them." He nodded sadly as he watched her move into her own room.


	24. Bruise Pristine

Chapter 24

Letty woke to find Dom sleeping next to her, though it was clear he had kept himself away from her. In the light of a new day, she felt calmer and realised that none of the previous days proceedings had been his fault. She climbed out of bed and after a quick shower, she was ready to face the world. Nat's grip on her had caused bruises to form on her upper arms, and she replaced her wife-beater with a tee to cover them up.

She dragged her hand down Dom's back and he stirred. Staring up at her, his face quickly softened from a worried gaze to a smile.

"Morning. Me and Leon will go get Maddie. You pick Vince up. We'll meet you at the garage in a bit." Dom rolled on to his back and watched as she left the room. A short while later he heard the car drive off and resigned himself to the fact that a lie-in was off the cards. Dragging himself out of bed, he pulled on some clothes.

As he drove the car down towards the hospital, he realised that he would have to get one of his own soon. The thought of having to share a car was killing him. Despite promising Mia he would stay legit, he knew that he had to race again soon and he would be damned if he was borrowing Letty's car. He pulled into the car park, and was shocked to see Vince already waiting for him. He jumped in the car and looked at Dom,

"What? Let's just say they wanted to see the back of me." Vince muttered. Dom smirked at his friend and pulled off.

The garage was a hive of activity when they arrived. They could see Leon's feet sticking out from under one of the cars, Xander had his head under a hood and Joel was talking to Letty about something in the office. She had her back to them as they entered. Dom walked up behind before grabbing her around the waist. She shied away slightly. Turning round, he noticed her face and how she was sporting a black eye, one even more morbid than Vince's. 

"Glad to see you got him here safely." Dom didn't say a word as he examined her face closer, "Oh, this. Yeah, I fell down John's stairs and cracked my face against the banister." Letty watched as the expression on his face change from calm to anger.

"He hit you?"

"No, I fell down the stairs. Look, I have put ice on it, and it should go down in a few days. And I promise not to tell anyone about your violent streak." She chided him but quickly realised he didn't find it funny, "It was a joke, Dom. Just stick me and Vince together and we'll make a good pair of bookends." She laughed "Anyway, Me and Joel need to pop out to pick up this part. Can you watch Maddie for me please." Letty kissed him goodbye and wandered out with the other mechanic.

After making sure she had left, he called out to Vince,

"Yo V, watch Maddie for me would you?" He left the garage, much to the dismay of Leon.

"I think I've lost my car." He uttered before turning to look at Vince, "Hey dawg, did you see Letty's face? Clumsy bitch fell down the stairs at John's." Vince laughed as he wandered into the office, shortly followed by Leon, "We tried warning her, but she slipped on a can of deodorant and next thing we know, she was in a heap at the bottom. Then she had the nerve to blame it on us. Her face was a picture though. Never have I ever regretted not carrying a camera with me like I did that moment."

* * *

Letty and Joel were returning from the Toyota dealers when her cell started to vibrate.

"Yeah?"

"_Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the cops on Toretto."_

"Erm, because he hasn't done anything?" She offered, perplexed at his question.

"_Guess again. Did you make out that I hit you?"_ Letty groaned in frustration as she realised what had happened.

"Look John. I'll be over in about ten minutes. Just don't do anything, alright." She hung up and turned to Joel.

"You want me to head over to your old house?" Joel asked to which Letty responded with a simple nod.

He was sitting on the ramp of the removal truck, his head resting on one of his hands, his cell phone in the other. She could see Leon's car parked a little way down the street, a little surprised to see Dom sitting in it. Letty got out of the car and walked up towards John. Immediately, she could see the effects of Dom's aggression. His face, already suffering from the previous beating both Dom and Letty had inflicted on him, was now seriously messed up. Blood trickled from his forehead and lip. A removal guy was standing a little way off, keeping an eye on both the victim and persecutor.

"You look like shit." She offered, "Look, I didn't say anything to him. Just don't call the cops. The last thing we need is this on us."

"Give me one good reason why not. Come on. I think I have a pretty good case for assault. He probably would have killed me if Jack hadn't been around." Trying not to show too much agreement to his statement, knowing Dom could easily kill someone, she simply smiled. As she contemplated a reason, she shuddered at the only one that would stop him. She knew she wouldn't enjoy threatening him but it was the only one she could think up. Making sure no one was in ear shot, she bent down closer to him

"Because if you do, that little accident I had earlier will be your doing." She was surprised at how menacing and convincing she sounded as she uttered the words. Sure, she was tough and wouldn't think twice of defending those she loved, but she never considered herself vindictive. Reluctantly, John resigned himself to staying quiet aware that she meant every word.

"Letty, he's unstable. I'm worried for you."

"Don't be. He would never lay a finger on me." As she said those words, he could feel her eyes penetrate him and himself shrink back in remorse, "Anyway, you won't have to worry about him seen as you're leaving today."

Dom watched the proceedings from Leon's car. He didn't know why he had waited around but for some reason he felt compelled in making sure John was alright. As he watched Letty talk to her ex, he suddenly felt a sense of calm come over him. He wasn't a body language expert, but he could tell there were no lingering traces of affection from Letty, even if John wanted there to be. His breath suddenly quickened as he watched her stride over to him, her face filled with fury, each step she took overflowing with the determination of someone on a mission. Getting out of the car slowly, he leant against the body waiting for her to lay into him.

"Are you out of your fucking mind? When did it factor into the equation that the last thing you need to do is get arrested? You forgotten about what happened a few years ago? Do you really think they would completely forget about you? They are probably waiting for you to trip up and you start acting like this. You just gonna play into their hands?" She could tell her barrage of questions were affecting him. Though he maintained his ground, there was a slight hint of repentance creeping into his face. "You are lucky he is still in love with me and will do whatever I ask of him. I told you it was an accident Dom, why in hell would I lie to protect him?"

"Let, I just cracked." She exhaled and took his hand, before shaking her head.

"I wish someone would knock some sense into you guys. You just don't think. You, Vince and Leon are all the same." The moment she said it, she regretted it. Noticing a way out of her tirade, Dom was quick to change the subject.

"Oh yeah Leon, did you find out what is up with him?"

"He said he was having problems with allergies. Plus, I think he is a bit run down. Need to ease up on him." Letty said as convincingly as possible. It seemed to work as Dom gave her a kiss and climbed back into the car, "I'll see you back at the garage."

She walked back over to John, who had managed to rise from the ramp and start re-packing the van. The driver, who she assumed was Jack, was looking at her with amusement.

"What?" She questioned abruptly, "You never seen a woman with a black eye."

"No, I've never seen a woman with two men so tightly wrapped around her little finger."

"Don't you have work to do?" She sneered at him, "You sure you're alright John?" She asked as she looked at him. He gave her a weak smile and she softened her tone slightly, "Listen, he may be a little impulsive at times, but he would never hurt me or anyone else in his family."

"Strange, a few years back he risked all of your lives." Letty's mood soured in an instant.

"Fuck you John." She shouted as she jumped in the car and drove off.

* * *

At the garage, Leon and Vince had revelled in having a go at Dom which had successfully managed to put him in a bad mood. It was noticeable as soon as Letty entered the workshop. Leon gave her a look of caution, to which she kindly responded with her own look of scorn. Wandering over to the car that he was busy repairing, she positioned herself in his line of vision.

"Look, I know I screwed up. Can we drop it?"

"I didn't say a word." He glanced up at her, "Look Dom," She stopped herself as she realised they had an audience. Walking over to him, she took his hand and led him into the office, closing the door behind her, "Look Dom, you have to trust me. I'm not about to start lying to you. I would never lie to you," As she said it, she knew it was wrong and that it would come back to haunt her. She decided to lessen the future betrayal by making this about John, "about what happened. I fell down the stairs, my own fault. Believe me, it was embarrassing enough for me to want to lie, but it was all my own doing. John didn't hit me."

"He did it once," He spoke before he was silenced by a finger on his lip.

"And he will never do it again. Come on. Let's just get back to work." Dom reluctantly followed her back into the work area, catching Vince as he grinned at him. Deep down, he was thankful that she had eased up on him so quickly. Sure, they thrived on angry make up sex in previous years, but right about now he was just happy with things staying stable and contented.

The day wore on wearily, everyone acting cautiously, unsure whether Letty was calm or her anger was actually simmering at the surface, ready to explode at the first person who crossed her. Her mind though was pre-occupied by Leon. He looked worse than he had done for a while. Yet still, he was working like a maniac. The others in the garage seemed unaware of his distinctly shaky appearance. Casually strolling up to him, she called him outside under the pretence of something being wrong with her car.

The sun was basking down on the forecourt. Shading her eyes with her hand, Letty stared at him for a moment.

"So what's the matter, girl?" Seeing the concern on her face, he knew this wasn't going to be a discussion on anything relating to mechanics, "What?" He questioned as he wiped his oily hands on a rag.

"Le, go home."

"See, this is exactly why I didn't want anyone to know." He cursed loudly before quickly lowering his voice, "I'm not going Let. I leave, they ask questions."

"Leon, you look like shit and staying here isn't gonna help you. Soon enough someone will ask you why you look like a corpse." 'Bad choice of word, Letty' She chided herself, wanting to take it back as soon as it left her mouth. Somehow though, it did the trick.

"Fine, I will get out of their sight, but I'm not going home." Leon sighed in resignation. He picked up his keys from the bench and drove off. Shrugging her shoulders, she wandered back into the garage, her hand resting on neck. She didn't know how long she could keep this quiet, already it was beginning to try her.

"Where's Le gone?" Vince asked, as he saw the expression on her face.

"He's having the afternoon off. How are you feeling, anyway?" She asked, realising she had hardly said two words to him since he had come out of hospital.

"I'm fine, can't believe what happened last night though. She's dead. That's fucked up." Vince mumbled, as he thought of her. He hadn't really considered how much she had helped him whilst they were together. Sure, they'd had fun but she'd also listened to him talk about the team and what they meant to him. He sighed before spotting the Buick pull up outside.

* * *

Vince walked into the kitchen, and spotted the note on the fridge. As he scanned it, he chuckled to himself.

"Yo Let, fancy a night out?" He asked as she approached him. She pointed to her face and shook her head, "Dom, night out?" He called. Dom, who was busy scratching his head shook his head also.

"Sorry V, staying in with my girls. Why anyway?"

"Oh, Leon left a note saying he wants a night out. Sounds like a good idea to me." Dom glanced at him, then at his arm,

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"After this, and hearing about Sofia, and that little pounding I took, I think a few beers is a fucking brilliant idea. You sure you're not coming?" Both Letty and Dom declined once more, "You're not gonna become one of those boring couples who don't go out and only talk about money and shit, are you?" Noticing the look on Letty's face, he made a quick exit from the room.

A couple of hours had passed before Leon arrived back at the house. Following a quick shower, he threw on some semi-decent, clean clothes and dragged Vince out. They wandered into the club with ease and quickly established themselves at the bar. Ordering two corona's and two shots of tequila, Leon scanned the room. He was looking for someone, anyone to take home. An array of bodies filled his vision. Some hot, some not so hot, but all out for a good time. Vince immediately cottoned on to his game and laughed. The music was penetrating into Leon's body, the bass causing his heart to beat slightly differently. As he scanned the room for someone to fuck, his eyes quickly focussed on a petite blonde in the corner.

"Pace yourself, grasshopper." Vince laughed as he knocked back the shot, thankful that he had refused the meds they had tried to force on him. Grimacing as the liquid slid through his mouth, scorching a path down his throat, he caught sight of a woman reflecting in the mirror behind the bar. Smirking, he turned round.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." The woman stated. She was tall, with shoulder length black hair and dark eyes that you could get lost in. Standing in front of him in jeans and a barely decent sheer top, Vince fought hard the urge to have her there in front of everyone.

"Foxy Roxy, fancy seeing you here." He stated, his eyes taking in every inch of her body. He noted how she had toned up a lot since he had last clapped eyes on her. Really toned up.

"Could say the same thing. Nice accessory," She said as she glanced down at his arm. Vince shrugged, "Who you here with, man?" Roxana asked, as she moved closer to Vince. He could smell the liquor on her breath, but knew that she was still fairly sober. This was the girl that could drink the guys under the table, and who regularly did.

"Leon. Though fucked if I know where he's gone."

"You two still got that crib to yourselves?" She said, forthrightly but with a slightly seductive tone. She traced her hand up his chest.

"Nah sorry, our girl's back with the little 'un." Roxana gave him a confused look, "Shit girl, how long has it been? Letty's got a baby girl. Maddie. She moved back in with us last weekend. So how bout we go back to yours?"

"That's great about Let. Shit, haven't seen her in ages. Can we go see her?" Vince was slightly dismayed as he stared at her, "Oh come on, V. This is Let that we're talking about. That's my girl and she has had a baby, and I didn't know. I need to see her and demand an explanation." Reluctantly, Vince grabbed her hand and led her to the exit.

"Fine, but baby will be in bed by now. And imma thinking Let and Dom will be too."

"Doesn't hurt to try. Wait, you just gonna leave Le? And who's Dom?" She never did get her reply as Vince bundled her into a cab.

When they got back to the house, it was in darkness. Vince took her hand and pulled her out of the car. They stalked the driveway and quietly entered the house.

"See, I told you they would be in bed. But since we are here now." He sneered playfully, bringing her close to him. Roxy didn't need asking twice as she undid the zip on his jeans, "Just try to be quiet. I know it's hard for you, but we have a baby in the house now."

"Vince, just shut up. Stop trying to kill the mood." He wrapped his arms around her, walking her back towards the couch. In their haste, they failed to see one of Maddie's toys littering the path. Tripping over it, Roxy fell to the floor, dragging Vince with her. Cursing at landing on his arm, they looked at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles. As they lay on the floor, laughing at the absurdity of what had happened, they heard the muffled noises of footsteps from above. Vince clapped his hand over Roxy's mouth to try and suppress her laughter. The light flicked on and he could tell in an instant it was Dom stomping down the stairs.

"Vince, would you shut the fuck up?" he growled, obviously pissed at being woken. He could still hear them giggling like a couple of teenagers and mooched back upstairs. Having stifled her laughter, Roxy looked up at Vince and smiled innocently. Cupping half of her face in his good hand, he kissed her softly. His hand moved down her body and quickly discarded of the top she had been wearing. 'Yeah, this was just what the doctor ordered,' he thought to himself.


	25. Damn Girl

A/N: Ok, two things. One: Apologies for the poor quality of the last chapter. It was pretty bad and although I should have taken it down and made amendments, I haven't had the time. Which brings me to the other thing, Two: Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been mad busy with Uni deadlines and they kind of have priority. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. And as always reviews are appreciated.

* * *

Chapter 25

Vince opened an eye and gazed around the room. His eye scanned every corner, scouring for life, before dropping down to see Roxy lying asleep on his chest. He couldn't recall when they had ended up on the sofa, but his back was definitely appreciating it. Smiling to himself, he shut his eye and tried to drift back to sleep. About ten seconds later, he heard a cough coming from above. Opening both eyes this time, he looked up to see Letty towering above him. He couldn't tell if she was happy or pissed off, so he went for an impartial greeting,

"Erm, Morning." His gruff voice spoke

"Afternoon." She replied, handing him a cup of coffee before crouching down in front of her friend. She gently shook Roxy awake.

"Vince, piss off. I just want to sleep." Roxy moaned

"Charming." Letty responded, "Where have you been hiding woman?" Her eyes springing open, Roxy threw her arms round Letty causing her to lose her balance and collapse on the floor. Vince's arm jerked up quickly to avoid scolding himself with the coffee thanks to Roxy's sudden reaction.

"Shit mami, what happened to your face? I thought you were the one to inflict pain on people, not the other way round." Roxy stated as she caught a glimpse of Letty's black eye. She carefully pulled back the strand of hair that lay in front of it.

"Yeah, inanimate objects tend to have an upper hand when you fight them. Fell down some stairs and cracked my face against the banister." Roxy took a sharp intake of breath and winced prompting Letty to laugh. Just at that moment, Dom walked in carrying Maddie in his arms. He glanced at the two women entangled on the floor, one half naked, and then to Vince's bemused face.

"Who the hell are you?" He questioned bluntly.

"Who the hell are you?" Roxy replied as she looked up at the man in the doorway.

"Dom, this is Roxana. Roxy, this is Dominic and that is Madeline." Vince uttered. Standing up, she dusted herself off and walked up to him, "Sorry bro, but you two were in bed last night when we came in otherwise I would have introduced you earlier."

"Dominic Toretto? For real? Fuck man, heard you were back but can't actually believe I am meeting the legend that is." Roxy exclaimed, glancing back to see Letty still sitting on the floor. She smiled before looking back at the baby in Dom's arms, "And aren't you adorable? Letty, I'm disappointed in you. Has it really been that long since I last saw you?" She asserted as she looked at Maddie. Dom arched his eyebrow at her as he tried to work out who the woman in front of him was. He could tell, even from her half dressed appearance, that she wasn't a typical Vince lay even if she was stood in only her underwear. She didn't look like his sister for one, but at the same time she wasn't the predictable skank he so often went for.

"Rox, don't swear in front of Mads. And yes it has been, but that wasn't our fault. You disappeared." Letty said after hauling herself off the floor, "Dom, Roxy races as well. We met her about two years ago now." Holding out her hand, Roxy beamed at Dom. He tentatively returned the gesture and shook her hand. He glanced at Vince who was busy supping back his cup of coffee.

"Yeah, drives a black Acura. She's pretty good."

"Never beaten me though." Letty chimed in, laughing at her, "So where have you been? And does this mean you two are back together?" Vince and Roxy glanced at each other and shrugged. They had always had a casual relationship. Hooking up when it suited them and not really going for any sort of label.

"Had to go back home. Gran was sick and my mom was struggling to look after her and my dad couldn't go, so I went and helped out. Like the good daughter I am." She replied with a smile, though there was an evident twinge of sadness in it. "My gran died not long after I got there but I kind of got sucked back into my old life. Took me a while to realise why I left in the first place. I'm back now though. My dad's got me working at both the restaurant and the store. But I need the money. He paid my rent whilst I was gone and now I have to pay him back." Roxy sighed loudly, before shrugging.

"Still got your car though?"

"Hell yeah, I'd go hungry before I let her be taken off me. Can't believe I let her sit in a garage for over a year. You used to drive an RX-7, yeah? That is a sick car." Roxy added as she turned to Dom. He looked at her bemused. Still trying to figure out if she was friend or foe, Dom snarled at her,

"So did daddy pay for your car?" Roxy glanced at him with indignation and a little confusion.

"He's shittin me, you're shittin' me right?"

"Rox!" Letty chided as she glanced at her daughter. Looking at Letty apologetically, Roxy proceeded to stare Dom down,

"I paid for her myself. Like my dad would willingly buy me a car. He hates the thing. Hates me driving. Worked my ass off to get her. Leon fixed her up, but I paid for her. She's my baby," Roxy said in a voice filled with pride. Dom looked at her, realising that maybe she was the real deal after all. Not that he was about to go easy on her though. She still had a long way to go before she was ok in his eyes. "Yeah, I've had her for three years now. Got her just after my eighteenth birthday, not long before I moved here. Anyway, this is Maddie. How old is she, chica? Mind if I hold her?" Roxy politely asked Dom

"Seven months." Letty replied, smiling proudly.

"Aren't you just the cutest thing ever? I know people who would kill for a weave like this. And look at those eyes. Wait Let, how does she have green eyes? You and Dom both have brown eyes and I know genetics can," She was cut off promptly

"Because she isn't my daughter." Dom stated, an obvious tone of irritation in his voice.

"Oh. She John's?"

"Yeah, John is her father. He moved to Chicago though." Roxy decided to drop the subject, quickly realising it was touchy territory. She could sense Letty trying to calm her hot-headed boyfriend and wandered over to Vince. He smiled at her, "Hey V, where's Leon?" Letty asked, realising she hadn't seen him since the previous night.

"I dunno. Kind of got distracted and left him."

"You what?" She yelled, prompting all eyes to fall on her, "You what, I didn't hear you?" She said as calm as possible, trying to back track on her previous exclamation.

"I left him at the club. He was chatting up some girl. Didn't want to ruin his fun. Give him a call." Letty considered it for a moment, but decided he would be alright. 'He doesn't want anything to change', she thought to herself.

"Aww shit, I was supposed to be at the store an hour ago. Let, could you give me a lift?" Roxy exclaimed as she handed Maddie back to Dom and quickly pulled on her jeans. Letty nodded and the two left.

Dom watched as they left the house and drove off down the street. He walked into the back yard and positioned Maddie on the table, his hand carefully holding her back. Vince grabbed himself a drink from the cooler and strolled outside. He had been sitting for a few moments and knew Dom was about to say something, quite possibly about their recently departed friend.

"Who was that?" Dom asked nastily. Vince glared at him, before taking a sip of his drink.

"Roxy? She's my ex, kind of. We never actually made anything official. We just hook up when the mood suits us." Dom was unconvinced and it clearly showed on his face, "Don't give me that look. Seriously Dom, get that stick out from up your ass. Roxy isn't a skank. Do you think Let would be so friendly with her if she was? We've known her for years now." Vince stood up from the table and slammed his drink down firmly, "You can be a jackass at times, bro." He shouted as he wandered off down the drive. Dom looked at Maddie who was oblivious to the proceedings around her. Sighing, he started to flick through the newspaper.

Letty drove towards the store owned by Roxy's father. He had his own little empire, what with the restaurant and the two other stores he owned. She recalled the nights they would all gatecrash the restaurant after closing. As the city passed them by, she glanced at Roxy who was in her own little world. Letty recalled the night they had met her.

* * *

"_Look Letty, I am telling you. The only reason you won was because I was distracted. I want a re-match tomorrow. You finish at the garage and I am taking you down." Leon teased as he walked over to her. They could see Edwin approaching them. _

"_Fine, whatever. Result will be the same. Edwin, what's up?" Letty chimed as he came closer. Vince wandered up to them as Leon started to drift away. _

_He had spotted her as soon as he drove into the alley. The girl stood out a mile. There was something different about her and it wasn't just the fact she was new. He strolled over to her but was caught off guard when she spoke._

"_Like what ya see, man?" _

"_You ain't from round here, are ya?" He laughed. Suddenly the air of confidence that surrounded her, the swagger with which she had walked up to him from her car, even the way she looked at everyone, sizing them up to see who could be trouble._

"_That obvious?" She spoke with a thick New York accent, "Just moved to the area and thought I would check out the scene. I'm looking for Edwin, to be honest. Saw him a moment ago, but now, I dunno." Leon looked at her, a bit perplexed._

"_You know Edwin?" _

"_He's my friends cousin. So who are you?" Leon offered out his hand and introduced himself. Walking up behind him, Letty looked her up and down, "Leon, yeah, I've heard him talk about you. You're one of Dom Toretto's team, right?" _

"_We were." Letty said curtly, making her presence known, "Who are you?"_

"_Roxana Jameson. Lemme guess, you're Letty." Letty shifted her stance, put off at the fact this stranger knew more about them than they did about her, "My cuz was saying that you're a decent racer. Wanna race tonight?" Leon scoffed at the audacity of this girl. Vince sidled up besides her._

"_You're brave girl, real brave. What you betting?" Vince asked, looking her up and down but for an entirely different reason than Letty had done beforehand. She was tall, able to look him dead in his eye, and there was unmistakably assuredness in the way she carried herself. She glanced at him and licked her lips. He was taken back by her directness. Turning her attention back to Letty, who's expression had turned from one of derision to admiration, she smirked. Letty had to give the girl her dues, she was ballsy. _

"_Rox, was wondering where you were at girl?" Edwin hollered as he came closer._

"_Don't sweat it. I'm cool." Roxy replied with a smile. Some of the tough girl veneer had slipped slightly. Vince, who had not taken his eyes off her, felt a slap against his arm. Turning his head quickly, he caught Letty mid snigger. His face drew a 'what?' expression provoking Letty into shaking her head. Roxy turned to Letty, intrigued by why she was suddenly laughing, "We racing then?" _

_With the bet settled, they headed to the streets. Letty glanced at her adversary. The other two racing were none of her concern. She wondered why they had even bothered joining in. They were throwing money away and she was pretty certain they knew it. Simply shrugging her shoulders, she set about to the task in hand. As Hector started them off, Roxy was quick off the mark. 'Shit,' Letty thought as she quickly shifted up through the gears. It had been a while since she had actually had to make an effort and it caught her off guard. Despite her quick start though, Letty was soon passing her and finished a respectable distance in front of her. Getting out of the car to pick up her winnings, Letty looked back as Roxy pulled up. The tension in the crowd soared as she strode over to her. _

"_Not bad, for a beginner." Letty remarked before moving closer to Roxy._

"_Not bad, for an veteran." She mocked with a smirk. "So, after party at yours I presume? It will give me the chance to get to know a few people." _

"_What makes you think you are invited?" Letty remarked with a sneer. For a moment, Roxy was stumped, unsure what to say next. Slowly Letty relaxed and smiled, "And less of the veteran. I'm not that old. Yeah you're invited but it's not at mine. Come to Leon and V's house. And by the way, I know someone who definitely wants to get to know you a little better." Letty said smiling. Roxy stared at her for a second. Looking at the petite Latino in front of her, she could tell she wouldn't be short of admirers, but girls were really not Roxy's thing._

"_Erm, Letty. I'm sure you're…"_

"_Jesus girl, not me! Are you that dense? I meant Vince." Looking rather sheepish, Roxy apologised. Letty laughed realising this girl was nothing like the others and they might actually see eye to eye, "Accepted."_

_A short while later, Letty and the boys had made it back to the house, a band of followers in tow. Letty wandered into the living room and flicked on the stereo. Some rock track that Vince had been listening to early blared out of the speakers, half scaring her to death. He walked up behind her and turned to volume dial. _

"_Sorry bout that girl. Was trying to block out Leon last night. So, she coming?" Letty turned to him and nodded before shaking her head in amusement._

"_Down boy. She is coming. Just don't jump her bones the moment she walks in, promise?" He agreed with some reluctance, "Don't look now but," It was too late. Vince was at the door, putting on his best display. Rolling her eyes, Let walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a soda from the fridge, jumped up to sit on the counter and proceeded to knock it back in one large gulp. She scanned the room and began laughing at the absurdity of everything. It was as if all the shit they had gone through the previous year had suddenly disappeared. Of course, that meant Dom not being there and Mia was still living with her aunt, but it was as if nothing had really changed. It was the first time since it had all happened that she actually felt something like normal. Everything was falling into place.

* * *

_

"What are you laughing at?" Roxy asked as she noticed the broad grin on Letty's face, "Hmmm, so that's Dominic Toretto, eh? Finally get to meet the man everyone talks about. He's a bit," Roxy paused as she tried to find the most polite word to use.

"He can be grumpy at times. Not helped by your escapades last night, I imagine. But he's my man, wouldn't have him any other way." Roxy laughed softly noticing the affection in Letty's voice.

"Let, you're going soppy on me. Bring back the old Letty. Where is she?" She mocked as she glanced around the car, even opening the glove box, "Dammit!" She added with a laugh, "I'm joking girl. I can tell why no one dared to cross you two back in the day."

"Oh they dared, they just didn't get very far." Letty added. Roxy smiled before sighing,

"You look really good together. Actually, you three look like a proper family. It's cute. Anyway, drop me off here. I'm gonna sneak in the back and get to my locker before anyone can see me doing the walk of shame." She laughed. Parking up by the side of the road, Roxy got out and leant on the open window, "Oh and Let. It was good to see you all again."

"Especially Vince?" Letty said with a smirk. A gesture reciprocated by Roxy.

"Hey, I'm racing tonight, haven't had my baby out since I got back. You gonna be there?"

"No, sorry honey. But I'll tell Vince." She replied

"And Leon." Roxy added. Letty nodded hesitantly, unsure whether it would be wise for him to go out two nights in a row.


	26. Touch Me Tease Me

A/N: The rating on this fic is gonna have to go up to an M. I think I have been bending the rules slightly with the amount of swearing I have and the T rating, but in an up-coming chapter there is material that would warrant a M rating. Anyhow, I will change it when I post the next chapter, which should be soon. Hope you are still enjoying this story. As always reviews are appreciated. Cookies to be distributed to those who do review.

* * *

Chapter 26

Leon hung up the phone and glanced at Vince.

"V, Roxy is racing tonight. You fancy it?" Without having to say another word, Vince was eagerly nodding his head,

"Hey Vince, I thought you two kept things light?" Letty questioned as she saw his enthusiastic response.

"We do, its just I haven't been racing for a while, so you know, I am up for anything. So anyway, Le, cop off last night?" He added, quickly changing the subject. Letty gave him a knowing smile before continuing to feed Maddie. Leon shook his head before wandering out of the kitchen, "Boys losing his touch." He replied, before glancing at Letty. Her face displayed a concerned emotion and it puzzled him.

"Vince, can you sort Maddie out for me?" He agreed and moved over to seat himself in front of the little girl. Letty stood up and followed Leon, who had walked into the living room.

She found him sitting on the sofa, messing with the remote, constantly flipping through the channels. Perching herself next to him, she watched the television change incessantly. A second of a cooking programme, a brief glimpse of a rap video, a tiny segment of a basketball game. After a while, she sighed heavily, trying to indicate her annoyance. It failed.

"Leon, quit it would ya?" She yelled shortly afterwards. He turned to her, "You want to tell me where you ended up last night?"

"Don't be my mother, Let." He responded as he set the remote down on the table.

"I'm just asking." Letty replied. He looked at her, noticing how her face displayed worry, "You going out tonight as well? You've got to be careful, Leon. I don't want you to end up," She was cut off.

"What? Killing myself?" Leon spat at her. He spoke quietly, but the venom was there lingering in his tone, "Newsflash Let. I'm already dying."

"Leon, shut up. That may be the case, but what, you want to bring it round sooner? You go out, get drunk, come back, go out, get drunk. Planning on doing that till you do actually die."

"Well, its not like I have to worry about cirrhosis of the liver." He asserted back at her. Their voices were barely raised above a whisper, but the intensity of emotion was palpable.

"Look Leon, I know its hard, but don't do this."

"No Let, you don't know how hard it is." Leon said as he went to leave. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down on the sofa. Staring at each other, neither one of them wanted to say anything. She glanced briefly into the kitchen, noticing that Vince was well and truly preoccupied with feeding her daughter. Letting a small smile appear on her face, she soon returned it to its serious mode and looked at Leon once more. Still holding onto his arm, she took a pause but before she could speak, Leon beat her to it, "Nothing has changed."

"Le, everything has changed." Letty scolded him.

"For you, yes. But before you knew, I was doing exactly everything I am doing now. I can handle this." Leon affirmed before wrestling his arm from her grip. He resumed watching the television before Letty stormed out of the room. Dom passed her on her way out and could sense her anger.

"What's up with Let?" He questioned Leon, wishing to avoid her wrath.

"Don't know man, you said something wrong?" Leon responded. Dom sighed as he ran his hand over his head before shaking it. 'I know what this is about,' he thought to himself before walking through to the kitchen.

* * *

Dom climbed into bed and settled down. Letty still hadn't said a word since she had stormed out of the living room earlier and he was hoping she either stayed quiet or had chilled out a little. She pushed open the door and slid into the room. There were some things Dom was thankful for, and Maddie was one of them. After putting her to bed, the Letty that entered the room was a lot more placid and even had a smile on her face such was the calming effect the baby had on her mother. She stripped off and wandered over to the chest of drawers. Selecting one of Dom's t-shirts, she slipped it over her head and made her way back to the bed.

"I was a dick today." He uttered. Letty glanced at him, her left eyebrow arched ever so slightly. Her look confirmed his statement.

"Yeah, you were." She stated abruptly.

"Roxy, she's alright. A little odd, but alright." He uttered again. Letty could sense an apology lurking somewhere behind his statement.

"Yeah, she is." Letty replied, her tone softened slightly. She slipped in between the sheets and began to snuggle down. Silently, she was thankful that Dom had taken her silence as a thing of his doing. He moved his body closer to her, realising the angry barrier had dropped a little. Sliding his hand up into her hair, he gently nipped at her neck, "don't get any ideas Dominic." She warned emphasising his birth name. She was still mad at him but it soon became clear she wasn't going to protest too much as she let his hands slip off the shirt she was wearing.

Dom stared down at Letty. His breath ragged and heavy. He looked down at her and smiled before a slight smirk began to cross his face.

"Forgiven?" He said with a slight laugh. He was still slightly breathless, and combined with his deep burr, Letty felt powerless to stop the shiver of delight course its way through her body. 'Damn him,' she cursed silently. After a pause to regain her composure, she spoke.

"How many women did you sleep with whilst you were gone?" Looking slightly dismayed, Dom moved to lie beside Letty. He glanced up at the ceiling for a while, before looking back at her. Her face was a picture of innocence.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking about that all this time?" He questioned.

"Hell no," She replied defensively, prompting Dom to smirk even more, "No, it just came to me."

"Why is it important?" He asked as he positioned his body on his side. She turned to face him, feeling his hand brush her hair away from her face.

"Just because. Well, you aren't a monk Dom and you know, if I am gonna marry you, I think I have a right to know." Letty stated as she shuffled slightly, loosening the sheet that was position awkwardly around her body.

"Against your one, anything I say will be a lot."

"Who said it was just one person for me?" Letty said before realising it. She rolled her eyes, knowing that her statement would prompt questions.

"There were five women. You?" Dom asked, his intrigue having been raised by Letty's confession.

"Three." Taken aback slightly, Dom looked at her with interest. Three guys in three years wasn't a bad figure. Yet, as far as he was aware, there had only been three guys in all the time he had known her. Himself, John and the Puerto Rican guy she used to run around with before Dom got with her and who's name he never cared to remember. Letty, realising he wasn't about to drop the subject, resigned herself to telling him, "After you left and before I met John, me and Vince went out one night and I ended up with this guy." Dom nodded and shrugged.

"Fair enough. Same with the other guy?" He asked, his hand having moved from her face to being positioned on her waist.

"Not quite. Roxy is the only other person who knows this. About eighteen months ago, we went out racing. John was at home, Leon was with his girlfriend at the time and Vince was somewhere I don't know. Anyway, I raced, won, and we went back to Roxy's. There were about fifty of us, packed into her house." Letty paused for a second and looked Dom straight in his eye. Suddenly she felt completely exposed in front of him. Not just physically, which was a given, but emotionally. The sensation shocked her. It wasn't as if she was confessing to cheating on him nor was it like he was Mr. Innocent himself, "Anyway, long story short I slept with this guy there. So five women? Less than I thought."

"You said you'd never cheat on John." Dom said without missing a beat. Letty recoiled, wishing she had never brought up the subject. She groaned and rolled on to her back.

"And I never did after that. It was one night, I was drunk and that was that. It happens. You of all people should know." She said it and she didn't know why she had said it, but there it was. Leaving her mouth so instantaneously that she didn't have time to catch it before it was floating in the air. She hesitantly glanced at Dom. His face was unmoved.

"Yeah, I know." He uttered without any emotion in his voice. She didn't crave his acceptance, she hadn't even planned on telling him and not because of what he might say, just because it wasn't relevant to their life. Yet in that moment, everything felt right. "And it was six, not five." He uttered as he lay next to her. Dom's head descended on her stomach and slowly he drifted to sleep. Lying in the quietness of their room, Letty gazed at the ceiling. She could feel his breath against her bare skin. She was relieved that he had taken it so well, but as she said, he should know how these things happen. They'd all changed over the past three years, and he was still moody at times but he had matured. There was a level of respect and understanding between the two of them that wasn't there before he left.

Before it had been so easy for the both of them. She knew she could walk away from him any moment he screwed up. Wait, that wasn't true. He always knew that she wouldn't, couldn't. If she didn't stay around for him, she would always be there for the others and for the cars. Maybe that was what made him constantly try her. Knowing that she would be in his life, regardless. She sighed softly as she recalled their past, how turbulent it had been but how they both knew that deep down they loved each other. It always made her so confused then when he would flirt with those other girls in front of her. But after that one night, that one instance of infidelity, she made it perfectly clear that if he did it again, he would lose her. He could flirt all he wanted, but if he went any further, there would be no Dom and Letty anymore. She liked the new Dom though, still grumpy, still possessive at times, but a little more refined. Telling him about her own unfaithfulness had been so easy, surprisingly so. Yet, in the back of her mind, the one thing she knew he had to know was the one thing that he could never hear from her. She let her head fall back onto the pillow as she gently stroked Dom's head.

* * *

The morning came around rapidly. Letty was convinced she had only shut her eyes mere minutes before the alarm had begun to scream in her ear. Dom slammed his fist against it, the force causing it to fall off the table and smash on the floor. The noise prompted Letty to jump clear of the bed. The noise also caused Maddie to wake up and proceed to scream the house down. Noticing Dom had fallen back asleep, she sighed and wandered out of the room.

Once she had successfully calmed her daughter, she walked down into the kitchen. It was quiet, which wasn't surprising given the hour. She glanced at the clock, twenty after seven. Signs of life would not emerge for at least another two hours. She turned on the faucet and let the cool stream of water fill the glass. Staring out of the window as she took a sip, she was oblivious to the body skulking in behind her. It was only when he spoke that she became fully aware. For the second time in less than half an hour, she visibly jumped from her original position.  
"Ooh, someone's jumpy this morning." Vince uttered as he pulled the chair out from under the table.

"You're up? I thought you would be in bed till, well, this afternoon."

"Only just got back in." He sighed, trying but failing to suppress a yawn. He put his arms on the table and let his head fall ungraciously onto them, "Wake me up in a bit. Just gonna close my eyes for a while." He mumbled, the noise slightly muffled by his arm. Letty laughed,

"Hey V. Did you leave Leon again? Or is he in bed?" She asked. Rising from the table he looked at her.

"He left early on. To tell you the truth, he looked pretty shitty. He raced last night and thank god it was only a small bet. 1 G by in. I thought he had it in the bag, but he lost. Like not even close to winning, came in third. Is everything alright with him, Let?" She tried to conceal the emerging worry on her face. Turning swiftly to face outside, under the pretence of emptying her glass, she uttered a small reply,

"Ask him. I don't know." She placed the glass on the counter and walked out of the room, leaving Vince thoroughly bewildered but he was too tired to question anything. Letting his head fall back on his arms, he was soon snoring away peacefully.

Letty opened the door to their bedroom and sneaked back in. Dom was stirring slightly. Slipping back into the bed, she tried not to wake him up. With Maddie asleep once more and it being a Sunday, she wanted at least another hours sleep. Unfortunately, Dom had other ideas.

"Morning," He whispered seductively in her ear as he slid his arm around her waist. She twisted her body round to face him, catching the glint in his eye. Realising sleep was most definitely off the cards, she pushed him on to his back as she straddled his torso.

"Think you can just get your way with a look, eh?" She asked as she brought her hands down to his groin. Her eyebrow arched ever so slightly.

"Looks that way to me." He smirked as he felt her hands slowly caress him. He sat forward slightly, and cockily placed his hands behind his head.

"Is that so?" She questioned as she gazed up at him. Her head slowly descended and she could tell from his moans of delight he wasn't expecting her to do that.


	27. I Can't Do It Alone

Chapter 27

Wednesday came around surprisingly quick. The previous day, Letty and Dom had booked the wedding for a week on Saturday. A cancellation had seen them get in quickly and they weren't about to pass up on the opportunity. Vince had spent most his time being the official babysitter thanks to his arm. He was surprised by how much he was able to do with his right arm once again. It gave him some hope that he would be able to race again at some point. Leon had seemed to have perked up as well, which reassured Letty to some extent. Keeping it a secret was a lot easier when he looked well and as if nothing was wrong, even if it was far from the truth.

The garage had been quiet most of the morning when Joel wandered into the office. Letty looked up from the desk and smiled at him, but was dismayed when she saw his face.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Probably not. I've been offered a job at this dealership in San Diego. My dad knows the guy who owns it, and its," He bit his lip anxiously, "Its too good to miss."

"Let me guess, better pay, better benefits." Joel nodded, "Guess there is nothing I can do. You gonna finish the week?"

"Yeah, of course. And Let, thank you. I've learnt a lot here. Everyone laughed when I said I would be working with a woman as the boss, but I'm glad I did." Letty gave a half smile, unsure if there was a compliment in what he was saying, "You want to come out for drinks on Friday night?"

"Yeah sounds good. I'll see if Irene can look after Maddie. I'm sure the guys will be up for it as well though." He smiled and left the office. She ran her hands through her hair as she wondered whether there was any point replacing him.

Her moment of reflection was broken as the phone rang.  
"Hello, Ollie's Autos."

"_Ok, some welcome this is. I'm back and there is not a soul in sight."_

"Aww shit Mi. We totally forgot. I'll be over in a while. See you soon, girl." Letty put the phone back on its hook and picked Maddie up, "Guys, I'm headed home. Mia's waiting to be let in. See you later on."

* * *

"Well finally." Mia shouted from the porch as she watched Letty walk up the drive, "Hey Maddie moo. Jesus Let, what happened to you?"

"I had a run in with a flight of stairs and lost. You should have seen it last week. Sorry girl. Didn't mean to leave you stranded. I swear you said you weren't getting in until this evening."

"I got to the airport ridiculously early and was able to change my flight. Got a cab from LAX, arrived here and no one was home."

"We do have jobs you know." Letty laughed as she opened the front door.

"I know, so I kicked my heels for a while. Went for a walk around the neighbourhood, got bored and then I phoned you. So when is the wedding? I have the perfect dress in mind for you, and I know what I will be wearing. Saw it in a store in Greenwich village. It is quite girly, a soft purple colour, very me. I thought we could decorate the yard in drapes and candles. And are you having a church ceremony? Oh, and I have a ton of wedding magazines, you know, to get us in the mood."

"Mia breathe," Letty sighed as she placed Maddie in the playpen, "I know what I am wearing. You can decorate the yard in whatever you want. And yes we are having a church wedding. I may not have got on with my family, but I promised Nana that I would get married in a church like a good Catholic girl." Mia sneered at the assertion,

"Let, hate to break it to you, but a good Catholic girl, you are not. Sex before marriage, child out of wedlock, not to mention…" Mia stopped as she felt the ferocity of Letty's stare hit her as she passed her a can of coke.

"Yeah well. A promise is a promise." Laughing as she sipped back the drink, Mia stared at her future sister in law, "What?"

"Nothing. Its just nice to know that some things come true. Before Dom went to Lompoc, I knew you two were going to end up together." Letty raised a sceptical eye at her, "Seriously. You were only like 14 at the time, but I could see it. I was very perceptive as a child."

"Mia, you were 12. Knowing your 19 year old brother would end up with a 14 year old isn't perceptive, it's creepy." Letty laughed.

"When you put it like that it is. So how is everyone?"

"Fine, good. I've left them all at the garage. Vince has his arm all bandaged up. Fell through a window last week, but he refuses to take a break. Dom has settled back in nicely. Though was a little hostile to the other two guys at first." She added with a laugh

"And Leon? Had the weirdest dream the other night. He was crying in it, freaked me out a little." Letty stared at her, trying not to show surprise but failing miserably, "What? Is something wrong with him?"

"No, just the whole crying thing. Strange." Letty assured her, realising she was becoming quite good at lying her way out of things.

The two girls grabbed their drinks and headed into the living room. Mia began to fuss around Maddie, holding her cuddly bear up and dancing it around her head whilst singing the tune from the latest toothpaste infomercial. Letty looked at her with amusement. She flicked on the television before asking Mia which film she wanted to watch. As she did, the phone began to ring. Lifting it off the receiver, Letty immediately knew something was wrong.

"_Let, you have to come down to the hospital. It's Leon." _She heard Vince gabble down the phone. Her heart sank, _"Letty?"_

"Yeah, I heard. We'll be down soon." She replied before promptly hanging up.

"What's up?" Mia questioned as she held the bear in her right hand.

"We have to go to the hospital. Leon's sick." Letty spoke slowly, almost as if she had slipped into auto pilot. 'This is too soon,' she thought, 'he told me he had four to six months, its barely been a week.' As Mia picked up the baby and they left the house, Letty prayed that he would be alright.

* * *

She was becoming used to seeing the interior of the hospital. After Vince's escapade, she had been hoping that it would be the last time she would have to see a hospital for a while. They entered the waiting room and immediately spotted Vince. He was sitting quietly, his face empty of any discernable emotion. Mia ran up to him.

"V, what happened? Where's Dom?" She questioned

"Dom's just gone to get a drink. I'm not too sure. Le was talking to us, then he said he wasn't feeling too good before collapsing. He hit is head hard on the floor." Letty remained silent as she took in the information. Maddie was getting fidgety in her arms, "You want me to take her, girl?" She nodded before passing her daughter to Vince. He placed her in the carry cot that Mia had been holding. Dom walked back up to them, brandishing two cups of coffee.

"Sorry you two, I didn't realise you would be here so soon. Hey sis, welcome home." Mia smiled politely, before spotting the look on Letty's face.

"You ok, Let? Don't worry about Leon, he will be fine. He's a fighter." She asserted, triggering Letty into a fit of hysterics, "Letty, what's the matter?" Without saying a word, she wandered away from them. Her track was stopped by the doctor who approached them.

"Excuse me, are you the relatives of Leon Michaels?" Vince nodded. None of them looked remotely like the guy, but they were his family, "Well, he is stable. He received a wound to the back of his head when he fell and required several stitches. Which one of you is Letty?" Letty stepped closer to the doctor.

"I am." He smiled at her and nodded,

"He was asking specifically for you. Could you all follow me please." Mia and Vince stared at her as they left with the doctor. Neither knew what that was about, but both their curiosities had been raised.

"You gonna tell us what that was about?" Mia immediately asked.

"It was nothing." It was obvious that Letty was tired. Her eyes looked drawn, her tone had become more strained. Mia glanced at her brother, then at Vince. Both of whom were staring at Letty, trying to yank out any information. They made their way into the room to find Leon was asleep. Mia positioned herself in the corner, watching how the other three were reacting to the situation. Dom and Vince were convincing her that they were shocked by the earlier events. They were busily talking about something that she wasn't too interested in, whilst Dom kept an eye on Maddie who was sleeping peacefully. There was something about Letty that didn't feel right though,

"So, what's wrong with Leon, Letty?" Mia spoke quietly.

"How should I know? I'm not the doctor." Letty responded, straight away spotting Mia's frustration.

"Letty, I know when you are lying. You get this funny squinty thing with your left eye. That and the fact you have been acting weird since the moment Vince called. Before that, it was since I told you about that dream I had." Letty stared at her perplexed having never realised she had any kind of squint. Whether it was true or not, she suddenly realised Mia was close to breaking her resolve, "Something is wrong with Leon, isn't it?" Letty sighed and wandered towards the bed. There was no way around this now. In a final bid to keep his secret just that, she went on the defensive.

"Ask him yourself. If you are so worried about him Mia, ask him yourself."

"You made me worried!" She shouted, causing the two men to stare at her.

"Worried you about what?" Dom's voice boomed.

"Dom, what's wrong with Leon?" Mia questioned forcing Letty to immediately recoil in anguish. She noticed Leon waking up. At that moment, she just wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole. Realising what was happening, Leon glared at Letty, his eyes a mixture of sorrow and anger. Vince stood in his usual confused pose. Dom's eye flitted between his sister, Letty and Leon. After five tense minutes in which no one dared speak, Leon broke his glare with Letty and spoke,

"Nothing is wrong with Leon. The doctor said I probably passed out because I haven't eaten anything all day. Now, if you are finished discussing my life, I think this is where you let me recover in peace."

Standing by his bed, she looked down at him. Her usual stance had been thrown out of the window and its replacement was a broken woman, tired, distressed and wishing to end the pain she felt knowing one of her closest friends was dying.

"Leon, I'm sorry. I can't." She sighed sadly. He looked at her and knew that the time he had feared was now upon him. He would have given anything at that moment to have eaten earlier on. Then, he wouldn't have passed out, wouldn't be here now and wouldn't have to say what he was about to say. Noticing that Dom, Mia and Vince were all staring at him, he took a deep breath and exhaled noisily.

"I don't know how to say this so I'm just gonna say whatever comes into my head. So it might be a bit fucked up, but you have to understand, I did this to protect you." He paused, trying to formulate a cohesive sentence. "Letty found out and I begged her not to say anything, so don't blame her. This is my fault. I couldn't tell you because I didn't want things to change."

"Leon, just say it." Vince said, waiting anxiously on his friends confession. He could sense there was something worrying lurking behind the hesitation. Leon was usually such a straight talking type of person, often to his own detriment.

"I'm sick." There was a brief sigh of relief in the room from the three of them, before they quickly noted the look on Letty and Leon's faces.

"How sick?" Mia asked. Her eyes turned to Letty, who she could have sworn was on the verge of crying. Slowly filtering back to Leon, she wished she hadn't asked.

"I'm dying." Silence descended on the room. No one dared to move. Leon could feel every pair of eyes on him, scrutinising him, trying to make sense of what he had just said, "I didn't want to tell you, but I don't have a choice anymore."

"Bro, we can get you help. They have all these treatments and shit. It will be fine." Vince offered optimistically. Letty couldn't bare to look at any of them, her gaze continuing to puncture a hole in the bed sheets.

"Vince, I'm going to die. There is nothing anyone can do for me. I found out last week that it's spread."

The silence returned to the room. The heart monitor was the only thing to give away any traces of life. A nurse walked into the room, but quickly exited realising whatever was occurring didn't need an audience. Dom glanced at Letty, his eyes signally the betrayal he felt. He thought they could share anything, he was obviously wrong. Letty noticed it and shook her head as if to say she had no other choice. Vince walked over to the chair and slowly sat down on it. He placed his head in his hands and stared intently at the hospital floor, noticing every fleck that was in the tiles. He couldn't accept that this was going to happen.

Mia was overwhelmed with grief. Her face was stricken with waves of sorrow. She had watched Jesse die in her arms all those years ago. How the blood had seeped through his clothes, slowly finding its way to the concrete floor. How she had begged him to stay strong, to hold on a little longer, that someone would come back soon enough. It was something she wished never to see again. A friend, a member of her own family, dying. Yet, here she was now, knowing that Leon was going to die. She stared at him for a second, noticing how his demeanour suggested he had accepted his fate.

"Why aren't you even bothering to fight this?" She scolded

"Mia." Letty said, noticing the anger in her friends tone and trying to quickly dispel it.

"No Letty, he is giving up. He hasn't even tried. He's accepted that he is going to die and hasn't even considered any of us."

"Mia, this isn't your problem. And even if I wanted to, there is nothing that can stop it from killing me now."

"But there was. You said it had spread, which means you have known about this for a while. You could have stopped it before it spread. And this is all of our problem. Stop being a martyr. You are family Leon and we stick together."

"Is that right? Is that why Dom took off when he felt the heat? Why he left us to deal with the shit he helped to create." Letty groaned loudly as the scene in front of her descended into a slanging match.

Both Toretto's jumped in to defend their position. Dom argued that he had already apologised for leaving and this wasn't the time nor place to be bringing up the past. Mia shot back saying it was the perfect time to bring up the past as they had already lost Jesse and none of them could cope with losing Leon. Leon joined in by stating that it was his choice and this was exactly the reason he hadn't brought it up earlier. Letty ran her hands over her face and gazed at the ceiling, before she was rapidly brought back into the room by Vince's roar.

"Enough! Will you just shut up for one fucking second." Once again, silence came down upon the room before Vince stood up and left. Letty was quick to follow him.

"V, I'm sorry." He turned to look at her. It was obvious she meant it but it couldn't stop him feeling let down by her.

"Let, he's my best friend. You as well. You are both family to me." She walked up to him, looking up into his eyes, pleading for forgiveness.

"And sometimes its necessary to keep secrets within families. Believe me Vince, I have wanted to tell you but I promised Leon I would keep it quiet." Vince ran his hand over his head before hitting it against the wall. The ferocity of his blow caught the attention of some of the other patrons, and they looked at the scene unfolding before them. Letty was quick to assure them that everything was alright. Vince, who had turned to look at the wall trying to compose his thoughts, slowly slumped to the ground.

"How long has he got?" He quietly enquired, his voice ragged with emotion. Kneeling beside him, Letty spoke truthfully.

"He said four to six months." Letty watched as Vince's face crumpled. She pulled him closer to her, allowing his head drop on to her shoulder.


	28. Numb

A/N: Just a prior warning about this chapter. There is somehting that is alluded to and though it's not explicit, it may cause offensive to some people. Apart from that, read and enjoy. Thanks to Nikki, Kia, myppe and ames for showing the love.

Disclaimer: (Just because I haven't said so for a while) I own nothing. Not the characters of TFATF nor anything that would be able to pay you back if you did decide to sue.

* * *

Chapter 28

They didn't know how long they had been sitting on that hospital floor. Time seemed to be irrelevant. People walked past them, knowing instantly that something was amiss and silently giving them their condolences. Hospitals could be places of joy, but for most people they were not so forgiving. Too often they carried the burden of death and suffering. Letty held Vince a while longer before slowly releasing her grip. He hadn't been crying, he very rarely did, but from the raw emotion in his eyes she could tell he was mournful. Taking his hand, she pulled him up from the floor and they slowly walked back towards Leon's room.

Pushing open the door, Letty glanced at Vince and without saying a word, he nodded. She walked into the room and was shocked to find that it was empty bar the patient sitting in silence in his bed. Both Mia and Dom were nowhere in sight, neither was her daughter.

"Hey Le. Where are they?" Letty questioned.

"Mia stormed off and Dom has just gone to get a drink with Maddie." Whilst she was relieved to know the whereabouts of her family, she was a little perplexed at why no one had followed Mia.

"Which way did Mi go, dawg?" Vince asked, as if he had read Letty's mind. Leon pointed at the opposite door. Taking it as his cue to leave, he gently rubbed Letty's back and wandered out. She slowly walked over to Leon's bed and took his hand.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. An apology from Letty was rare, so when it happened they knew she meant it. Squeezing her hand, Leon looked at her and smiled.

"It's fine, Let. It needed to be said. I shouldn't have put that on you, it wasn't fair." She glanced at him and gave him a small chuckle, before rolling her eyes.

"None of this is."

* * *

Vince trailed the corridors, asking random people if they had seen Mia.

"She's about this high," he said placing his hand level with his shoulder, "long dark hair, brown eyes, quite possibly crying." No one had. After about twenty minutes of aimlessly traipsing round, scouring every room possible, he wandered outside into the courtyard. As soon as he did, he wished he had done it earlier.

Under a canopy occupied by two people smoking, Mia was sitting on the bench. Her foot was tapping away anxiously and he could see the cigarette in her left hand. Sighing heavily, he stroked his chin before wandering over to her.

"Since when did you smoke?" He questioned, his voice causing her to jump slightly.

"Just don't, Vince. I'm not in the mood." Mia responded harshly. Vince perched himself next to her and asked if she had a spare. Without looking, she handed him a cigarette and a lighter before extinguishing her stub on the ground, "Since when did you?" She snapped back though she quickly got her answer. Lighting it, he took the smallest drag possible before spluttering, "I'm guessing about 20 seconds ago." She laughed. Vince was annoyed at her assertion but also happy to see a smile appear on her face.

"Yeah, well." He grumbled before handing her the cigarette. There was an uneasy silence between them. Mia kicked the ground in front of her as she took a long drag. Exhaling the smoke, wafting it away from Vince's face, she gazed at the flowers that bordered the path. Vince was simply appreciating the cool breeze, a relief from the stagnant, sickly air in the hospital. The light was slowly fading as day slipped into night. He watched as an elderly man pushed his wife, he assumed, around the courtyard in a wheelchair. They were talking lovingly to each other, valuing the time they were spending together. He exhaled heavily. Neither Vince nor Mia knew what to say. What did you say in these circumstances?

"Why is he being so selfish?" Mia finally spoke, "He could have had treatment, he could have told us all earlier. But no, instead he had to drag it out and now he's gonna die."

"I don't know Mi. I guess that was just his choice."

"His choice!" She said with vigour, "Since when did he get to choose whether he lives or dies? It's not fair Vince. We have known Leon for years now. We are his family and he doesn't even tell us that he is ill. And what is with him telling Letty? Why Letty? Why not you? Is there something I should know there, because if they are up to something I think my brother has a right to know." Vince who had been listening to her ramble intently, shook his head as anger slowly crept through his veins.

"Mia, would you shut up." He yelled, causing her to stop talking in an instant. She was taken aback by his fury. Never before had he shouted at her. She was so used to using him, exploiting the fact that he was in love with her, that his anger shocked her. "When did you have the right to dictate what Leon can choose to do? And as for that bullshit crap about him and Letty, do you actually think? When Dom disappeared and you went off to college, it was just the three of us. And as much as I am pissed at them for not telling me, even I can see why he did it." Vince snapped at her. Mia's eyes were fixed on him, the cigarette slowly burning down in her fingers, "Mia, grow up. You're not the centre of the universe and right now, Leon needs us." She watched as he walked back into the hospital, noticing how he didn't even glance back to see if she was following. Mia stared at the ground as she took another drag of the cigarette.

* * *

Dom walked up to the door, carrying Maddie in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. Seeing he was struggling to enter, Letty rushed up to open the door for him. Smiling at her politely, she could tell he was still pissed at her. She took Maddie off him and walked back towards the bed.  
"Le, I got you a coffee. Same for you Let. My sister still not back?" He enquired.

"Vince went to look for her." Letty replied as she sipped back the warm coffee. Nodding he perched himself on the end of the bed and started to talk about random things to break up the tension in the room. Leon was appreciative of their attempts and after Mia's earlier attack on him, it was what he needed. He didn't want to get sentimental but he was thankful Dom and Letty were back together. Even though he knew Dom was pissed off with her at the moment, he could still see the love radiate from him. Sure, she currently wasn't his favourite person but the love was undeniable. Leon shuffled in his bed, itching to get out of the room and back to his life. The doctor had told him that he would have to stay in for the night as he had lost consciousness and it irritated him greatly. His collapsing had nothing to do with his cancer, just his own stupidity at having not eaten. Yet, he resigned himself to following doctor's orders.

The door pushed open and Vince moped back into the room. He greeted the occupants before picking up one of the polystyrene cups. Taking a sip of it, his face contorted.

"This is Mia's, isn't it?" He whimpered as he tried to get the taste of green tea out of his mouth. Dom nodded and laughed.

"Yeah, sorry. Should have warned you." Dom replied prompting Vince to scowl at him before he took a sip of his coffee, "Where is she anyway?"

"Outside having a smoke." Vince responded, knowing it was childish to let on about her habit but doing it anyway. Dom stared at him with frustration.

"Since when did she start smoking?" Vince shrugged genuinely not knowing the answer. He glanced at Letty and realised that he shouldn't have said anything. It had only seen to putting Dom further into a mood which he would no doubt use against Letty when the opportunity arose.

"Hey guys, there's no point you hanging around. I ain't going anywhere tonight."

"You sure?" Letty asked to which he responded with a nod. Agreeing with him, she kissed his forehead. Saying their goodbyes, the three of them sloped out of the room forgetting that Mia had still failed to come back.

* * *

They had been gone for a while before Mia entered the room. Leon was sleeping soundly as she came in but was woken when the door slipped back into the frame louder than usual. He looked at her unsure as to whether he could handle another of her tirades.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, "It wasn't my place to have a go at you. I was just upset." "No, it wasn't." His words caused her to shrink back further into that shell of guilt, "But for what its worth, at least you care."

"Thanks." She mumbled as she walked up to him. She looked at him and could see the pain that crept through his body. In that moment, she understood how ill he was and that he wasn't simply giving up because he couldn't be bothered fighting. He was giving up because there was nothing left to fight. He was dying, he was going to die.

"Mi, I have gone through this so many times in my head and I know what I am doing. You might not agree with it and that is fine but I have to do this." She nodded her head sadly. She didn't want to cry in front of him but as she felt the tears slowly form in her eyes, she realised she would have no choice, "Mia, I'm not dead yet. Save them for when I do finally kick the bucket. Seriously, I want you all bawling at my funeral." Leon said trying to inject some humour into the proceedings. Mia looked at him and laughed softly before realising he had used the word.

"Leon, this isn't funny."

"I know girl, I know." He replied, taking her hand in his.

* * *

They wandered into the house with Letty putting Maddie straight to bed and Vince heading up to his room. Coming down the stairs, Letty could see Dom sitting patiently on the sofa.

"You lied." He mumbled, not even bothering to look at her. The ride home had been painful for all of them. None of them said a word, except Vince's few comforting words to Maddie when she started crying. Letty had hoped that being in the house would dispel any tension, but standing there, staring at the back of his head, she knew she wasn't so lucky.

"I had no choice. Leon begged me to keep quiet. I couldn't break that promise." She replied as she walked to where he was seated. He still refused to look at her, instead focussing on his hands as they lay in front of him, "Do you think it was easy for me not to tell you?" She knelt down in front of him and slowly his head moved in her direction.

"I dunno. Was it?"

"You know what, fuck you Dom. I am not going to apologise. Leon trusted me to keep quiet and I did. It was his place to tell you, not mine." Her words struck him. He had asked exactly the same of Leon. For years Leon kept quiet about knowing where he was, that he was alive and that he would be coming back one day.

He grabbed her hand as she went to leave. Trying to pull away from him, his strength overpowered her and she fell onto his lap. Looking at him with all the anger she could gather together, he took her face in his hands. She pulled away from him and told him no but he refused. Forcibly pressing his lips against hers, she fought his every move but it was useless. He was stronger than her, even more so once he had twisted round, her body now pinned under his. As she felt his hands snake up her torso, tugging at the material that separated their bodies, she decided to play him at his own game. Dragging her hands up his back, her nails scratching at it as viciously as possible, she could feel him flinching slightly. But his determination was not broken. He was going to have her regardless. She was the one thing keeping him sane and whatever physical pain she inflicted on him only sought to make him feel alive.

He looked at her, saw her anger still penetrating his gaze. Grabbing her arms, he held them above her head with one hand and felt her body writhe beneath him. His free hand weighed heavily on her hip, forcing her body into the sofa. Slowly, he lowered his face towards her, knowing her response may not be friendly, but needing her more in that moment than he had ever done in his life. Placing his lips against hers, increasing the pressure when he realised she wasn't about to retaliate, he forced her mouth open with his tongue. And then she saw it. Fear, sorrow, pain. She reciprocated his action, her tongue slowly entwining with his. Dom released his grip on her arms and she brought them down to his back, pulling at the bottom of his shirt. They separated ever so briefly so she could remove it over his head. His hands worked their way down to her jeans, slowly sliding the zip down before guiding them down her thighs. She wiggled out of them as Dom worked on getting rid of his own pants. They failed to notice the phone ringing in the background. He paused for a second, staring intently at her. Without saying a word, he knew she understood. He kissed her again before bringing his hand down her torso.

"Erm, Let?" Vince's voice boomed from the door way. Dom closed his eyes in frustration and quietly seethed at the interruption. Letty kissed his forehead, "Sorry guys but that was Mia."

"What she want V?" Letty muttered.

"She's stranded at the hospital. She's got no ride home and no money for a cab." Letty could tell Dom was about to say something and quickly placed her hand over his mouth. Grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa, she wriggled out from under Dom and wrapped it around her, "I told her to get into a cab and we would pay for it once she got here, but she said no. I would go, but," He held up his bandaged arm, "Sorry." Sighing noisily, Letty picked up her clothes and rolled her eyes,

"No, it's alright." She muttered, but he knew it was far from being alright. Dom, who's naked state hadn't gone unnoticed by his friend, pressed his face into the cushion and growled. Letty walked over to him once she had re-dressed and dragged her hand gently down his back, noticing the scratches that adorned it as she did. She kissed his head and placed the blanket around him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as his face turned out from the cushion.

"I know."

As she drove down towards the hospital for what felt like the millionth time, she ran her hand through her hair. She could still feel him on her. His weight baring down on her body. His hot ragged breath causing it to tremble in anticipation. And then she remembered his eyes, penetrating her, begging for her to release him, not just physically but emotionally. 'Mia had better appreciate this,' she thought to herself. She pulled into the hospital car park and made her way up to Leon's room. She could see Mia sitting in the chair, talking to him, smiling and joking. Wandering into the room, she offered them both a receptive smile.

"Well, we will see you tomorrow, Le. I'm sure they won't forget you," Mia mocked looking at Letty. From the look on her face, she wished she had kept her mouth shut.

"Take care Leon. See you in the morning." Letty said as they left the room. He smiled and nodded, still resentful at the thought of spending the night there.

They walked out of the hospital, neither one of them wishing to talk. Letty could tell Mia was reeling from learning Leon was about to die, whilst Mia still couldn't understand why her friend had kept so quiet. As they got into the car, Mia finally broke the silence.

"Mind if I put some music on?" She asked, to which Letty responded with a simple nod, "Hey I never knew Leon's favourite fruit were strawberries. Never saw him as being a strawberry kind of guy." Letty allowed Mia to ramble on for a while before she grew tired of her prattling,

"Mia, shut up. Please." Letty pleaded with her. Mia stopped suddenly, noticing the hurt in her voice.

"I'm sorry. Vince was saying you were a little preoccupied when I called." Mia said. Letty glanced at her but couldn't even afford her a pleasant expression.

"Something like that. Look, have a word with Vince. See if he will let you borrow his room. He sleeps better on the sofa anyway." Mia nodded appreciatively.

Pulling up on the drive, Letty got out and was quickly followed inside by Mia. Dom had moved off the sofa.

"Where is he?" She asked abruptly. Vince pointed towards the stairs before watching her disappear up them. Letty walked into their room. He was sitting on the bed, his head in his palms. Letty paused for a moment, before wandering to where he was and kneeling down in front of him,

"I'm sorry. I love you." Dom whispered as he caught her looking up at him. She closed her eyes, letting her head fall forward. Dom placed his hands gently on her neck, bringing his mouth down to kiss it. She glanced up before moving to stand in front of him. Her hands grabbed the hem of her top and in one fluid motion, she held it in her hands by her side. Letting it drop to the floor, she stood in front of Dom. He brought her in closer, his hands grasping her back and letting his mouth slowly kiss her abdomen.

"Don't even think of doing that again." She uttered, her tone layered with anger, before sighing heavily. "It's going to be alright Dom." She felt his mouth travel over her body before slowly moving further down, his hands undoing her jeans once more.


	29. Talk To Me

Chapter 29

Mia watched as Letty ascended the stairs before she glanced at Vince. As his eyes fell on her, there was a uncomfortable silence that dropped around the room. She moved her body slightly closer to the sofa, as if to suggest she was prepared to sleep there.

"I'll bring some blankets down and crash on the sofa. You can take my room if you want." Vince spoke quietly. Again, there was that awkwardness between them. Mia wasn't sure when it had happened, but it seemed like all those years he had pined over her, been the overprotective dick when ever she so much as looked at another guy, had passed. She realised then that if any feelings he had for her remained, he'd become an expert at hiding them. Somewhere, in the pit of her stomach, that realisation hurt. Now he was just Vince, her brother's best friend, the guy who had always been around, the one who used to tease her mercilessly when she was a kid. She nodded politely before wandering into the kitchen.

Vince had made the short trip upstairs before bounding down and throwing the blankets on to the sofa. He strolled into the kitchen to see Mia sitting at the table, a half drunk beer in front of her, and a full one on the opposite side.

"Thought you could use some refreshment." She stated as she pointed to the bottle. He glanced at her and smiled. As he supped back a mouthful of beer, he nodded in agreement, "Look Vince, at the hospital, I was," She paused trying to find the right word. Her left hand tugged at the label on her beer bottle, "I was out of order and what you said, it helped so, thanks." He glanced at her, savouring the moment of Mia actually thanking him for something.

"Yeah, no worries. So, how is college going?" Vince asked, quickly changing the subject. It was too early to talk about the possibility of losing Leon. Mia gratefully accepted the move away from everything that had happened in the last few hours.

"Yeah, its good. Hard work, but it will be worth it in the end." She stated as she took another sip of her drink. She gazed round the room briefly before letting her eyes settle on the white bandage that covered Vince's arm, "Letty was saying that you fell through a window. How the hell did you manage that?" Vince glanced down at his arm and shrugged.

"I really don't know. Just leant against it and then I was through it."

"And you passed out?" She said with a grin.

"Yes I passed out. I lost a lot of blood." Vince asserted in a rather manly fashion.

"Ok, sure V." The tension in the room soon dissipated as Mia continued to giggle at Vince's misfortune. He wasn't impressed but it was good to see a smile finally back on her face. The passed away the next couple of hours randomly talking about everything. Vince talked about the garage and everything he had been up. Mia filled him in on all the exploits that were happening in New York. She had been so excited when she had been given a place at Mount Sinai medical school. It had been Leon who had pushed her to go for it and she would be forever grateful. She had settled so well on the east coast that she felt slightly guilty. She'd grown up in LA, her whole life had been in LA so she felt like a traitor for loving New York so much.

Vince glanced up at her and smiled warmly. He was happy that she had settled. They had all been put through hell throughout their lives, but it seemed like Mia had suffered more than most. Her mum leaving, losing her dad, having to watch Jesse die in front of her, then having her own brother walk out on her in the middle of one of the worst situations possible. Throughout that whole period though, she had always been positive. He laughed as he reasoned that that was just her. Mia was happy. That was just the way she was and had always been.

"You ever think about it?" Vince asked hesitantly. Mia looked up from the table with a quizzical expression on her face, "What happened, Jesse, the heists, Brian?" She laughed softly, an obvious hint of sadness lurking in there.

"Yeah, can't not. You?" She said quietly.

"Every time I look in the mirror and see this." Vince replied, pointing to the scars that lined his right arm. He had come so close to losing it, that seeing the scars were a small price to pay. Vince glanced at the table briefly before speaking again, "He came to see me, you know? Brian. When I was in the hospital. The last person I thought would be there. Can't believe he actually got us off the charges though." Vince uttered, disbelief still in his voice.

"Yeah, he wasn't all bad. Think about him occasionally, what might have been. You have to move on though. Shame we didn't listen to you, would have saved us a lot of heartbreak."

"Nah, it would have still happened. But me and Let would probably be dead as well as Jess. Tran would still have caught up with him." Vince shuddered involuntarily at the mention of the Asian guys name. Mia smiled softly at him, unsure as to what to say next. She pushed the chair back on the floor and stood up. Wandering over to him, she kissed the top of his head.

"Thanks for the room, V. And, well yeah, just thanks." She whispered as she left the room.

* * *

Letty woke up to find Dom's arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Bringing it further up her chest, she closed both her hands around his. Physically drained from the day and night before, she didn't want to move but as she glanced at the clock, she knew she had to. Leon needed picking up in less than an hour. Kissing his hand, she moved it back beside his body and shimmied out of their bed. As she bent down towards the bedside table to retrieve her hair band, she stared at Dom. He hadn't scared her the previous evening, she knew he wouldn't have hurt her. It was the level of his pain though that had frightened her though. In that moment, when she saw all the hurt and sadness in his eyes, she realised that he was no longer able to always be the crutch for them, that the burden of being the strong one was slowly falling to her. Sighing tiredly, she knew the next couple of months would be a mixture of delight and grief.

Letty wandered out of the room and into Maddie's to see if she was awake. Staring down at her, she smiled happily as she watched her sleeping. She grabbed a little skirt and t-shirt from her drawer and wandered over to the table. Discarding it haphazardly when she heard Maddie whimper, she went over to pick up her daughter.

"Hey baby. How are you this morning?" Letty asked as she held her in her arms. Her daughter glanced up at her mother, and Letty smiled broadly, "Yeah, you're good aren't ya?" She sighed heavily as she wandered over to the window sill. Perching down on it, she looked round the room. It was the smallest in the house, and that was saying something, "What am I going to do, Maddie? I can't lose Leon. He's my dawg." Letty whispered sighing once more. She was relieved that it was out in the open. That she no longer had to be the sole possessor of his news. However, she would give anything for it not to be true. Leon was going to die and there was no escaping that fact.

After changing Maddie, she brought her into her bedroom where Dom was pacing around in a towel. She could tell he was still fraught from the news.

"Hey Dom. I'm going to pick up Leon." He glanced up at her and nodded. There was nothing in his face. It was like he had been stripped of life. She placed Maddie on the bed and walked up to him, "Dom, I meant what I said. Everything will be fine. Leon may be ill, but he isn't going anywhere for a while. We've just got to make his last months the best they can be." The look on Dom's face showed that he was unconvinced.

"Letty, I can't lose anyone else." She brought his face closer to hers and gently placed her lips on his.

"It will be alright." She whispered, though in the back of her mind even she wasn't convinced, "Anyway, we have a wedding to plan." She stated, hoping to take his mind of things.

"Yeah." Dom replied rolling his eyes. He felt a thwack against his arm which provoked a laugh out of him, "Yes. You want me to look after madam whilst you are away?"

"That would be great." Letty laughed as she kissed him once more. Walking out of the room and down the stairs, she was soon on her way to the hospital. Again.

* * *

Leon woke up and for a while forgot where he was. Then it dawned on him. He moaned with frustration before he noticed the nurse walking into the room. Hoping it would be a cute female nurse, he was dismayed to see a not so cute male nurse.

"Morning, Mr. Michaels." The nurse greeted him. Leon let out a small grunt, "You ready to go home?"

"The sooner, the better." Leon replied.

"Well, the doc will be in shortly. I think your friend Letty said she would be picking you up." The door pushed open and in walked a tall man. His appearance shocked Leon. He looked barely old enough to have graduated high school, let alone be a doctor in charge of people's lives. Suddenly Leon felt very old and he was only 27. The doctor, who's identity card read Dr. Morgan Smith, walked up to him and went through his checklist procedures.

"Leon, I hope yesterday taught you something. Yes, the lack of food in your system caused you to faint, but it was exacerbated by your illness. I realise this is a hard time for you, but you must still take good care of your health."

"Thanks for your concern." Leon grumbled. He was frustrated with the doctor, frustrated with the room he was stuck in, but most of all frustrated with himself. All he wanted was to be well again. To not have to worry that he was slowly dying.

"Have you thought about attending a support group? There is one here on a Thursday evening for people just like you." Dr. Smith stated. Leon laughed slightly.

"What dead men walking? Thanks but no thanks." He replied firmly. However, there was a hint of desperate resignation behind his voice. He didn't want to be in this position. It wasn't fair. He didn't want to die. He wanted to have a wife, a family, children of his own, to be able watch them grow up. He wanted to be the old man who would tell his grandchildren of his escapades when he was younger, though maybe omitting the whole high jacking incident. They didn't need to know about that. He thought he had accepted it. Accepted that he was going to die. Yet, as he spent the night tossing and turning, he had come to the realisation that there was so much he still wanted to do. As the doctor continued to do his checks, Leon noticed the nurse smiling at him,

"Leon, you seem to have a very close family. Don't just throw away your life." Leon sneered at him, but deep down he knew the guy was right.

The door swung open and Letty walked in. She was unusually breezy for the time of day. It was a little past 9 am. and she had a wide grin across her face. She smiled pleasantly at the two other men in the room before striding over to Leon.

"Well, can I take the patient home?" She questioned as she offered Leon a friendly glance. Placing a bag of his clothes onto the end of the bed, she looked at the doctor.

"Just a while longer. Maybe you should go get yourself a drink." Dr. Smith retorted. Letty was a little perturbed by his assertion. She could tell there was something behind his statement, something to worry about.

"No, I'm fine." She stated defiantly. Leon looked up at her. That sunny disposition she had shown upon entering the room had quickly disappeared. He glanced back at the doctor who had raised his head. The two of them were now staring at each other.

"Hey, Let, its ok. I'll be with you in a bit. It's fine." Letty wasn't convinced, but she did as she was told regardless. She threw a look of scorn in the doctors direction before skulking out of the room.

Wandering the hallways, she made her way down to the waiting room. It was packed with various bodies, most of them exhibiting some sort of affliction. There was a football player with his leg hoisted up onto a chair, a young girl with her hand holding a bandage on her head. In the far corner, an elderly gentleman was talking quietly to his wife who was sitting in a wheelchair. She looked so frail and needy. Letty shivered slightly as she turned away from them and proceeded to get a drink from the vending machine. She hated these places more than anything. She turned round and found a vacant chair to sit upon. Letty yawned and rubbed her eyes with her free hand before taking a sip of the hot beverage. A guy approached her and motioned to the chair on her left hand side. Letty nodded to indicate it was unoccupied and he perched next to her. She could feel his eyes penetrating her, so she made her engagement ring more exposed, swapping her drink to her left hand.

"You married?" He questioned. Of all the places to get hit on, he chooses a hospital waiting room. Letty rolled her eyes, before speaking.

"Engaged." She responded abruptly choosing not to look at him.

"Lucky guy. So what's your name?" She saw Leon coming closer to her and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked a lot healthier than he had done the previous night, though she could tell he was getting sicker as each day passed. It worried her. He had said four to six months, but it would be a miracle if he lasted that long.

"Hey, you ready girl?" He asked as he walked into the room. Letty immediately stood up, placing the half drunk coffee to one side.

"Stupid question." She laughed. Leon smiled as he put his arm around her waist, drawing her in closer before placing a kiss on her cheek. Without turning round to see the guy, they waltzed out of the hospital, "You didn't have to do that, Le."

"Maybe I wanted to." He laughed proudly displaying a wide grin. "Besides, it wasn't like I shoved my tongue down your throat." Leon added. Letty shrugged as they walked outside, his arm still round her waist. They approached her car and sidled in. Before she could drive off though, Leon's hand grabbed the steering wheel.

"What's up?" She questioned, giving him a concerned look. She shifted her body in the seat so that she was facing him,

"Nothing. I guess I just want to say thank you. I was wrong to tell you and make you keep it from everyone. But thank you for doing it anyway." Leon stated as he took hold of her hand, "Nothing can change though. I still have to work at the garage, we still have to go racing. I don't suddenly want to become the invalid. I don't want anyone's pity." Letty smiled at him.

"Hey, you don't have to worry. We ain't suddenly gonna give you special treatment."


	30. I'm Ok

A/N: Ok, so this story is way, way bigger than I ever intended it to be. But hopefully thats not a bad thing. Hope you are still enjoying it. Ch. 31 may take a while to be posted as I am away again and its not finished yet. The last chapter is done though. Sod's law, I guess. Comments are always appreciated. Thanks.

* * *

Chapter 30

They pulled up on the driveway and clambered out. As they strolled into the house, both stopped, stock still in the doorway. It was tidy, tidier than tidy, it was spotless. There were fresh flowers in large vases adorning the cupboards. The sweet, sickly smell of air freshener hung heavily around the room. The floors had been vacuumed and from the slight scent of bleach in the air that still lingered, it smelt as if Mia had mopped the kitchen floor as well. Vince was drinking a glass of juice on the sofa, the blankets he had used the previous night nowhere to be seen. He glanced up at the two of them and nodded a greeting. Letty looked at Leon blankly.

"I have no idea." She mouthed, before getting her answer. Mia, who face displayed a pleased and slightly overenthusiastic smile, came strolling in carrying a tray of various breakfast foods.

"Leon, come, sit down. I've prepared your favourites and there are some strawberries on the counter." She went to grab his arm but he quickly pulled it away.

"Letty, I'll see you later." Leon stated before grabbing his car keys and turning to the door. Vince stood up from the chair, discarded his glass on the table and followed him outside.

"Nice one Mia." Letty scolded before storming into the kitchen. Mia looked around the suddenly empty, but still pristine, living room. Her face a picture of pure bewilderment.

* * *

Vince jumped down off the porch and rushed to Leon's car before he had the chance to drive away. Yanking the passenger door open, he flung himself into the seat and stared at Leon before being forced back as he accelerated off the drive.

"She was just being Mia, brother." Vince stated, knowing instantly what had caused him to leave. Leon remained silent as he continued to drive, not sure where it would lead him but just making sure it was as far away from the house as possible. Vince understood the silence and chose to look out of the window. He had become used to being a passenger. It still pissed him off no end, but with his busted arm, and now his temporarily busted other arm, driving was painful. Occasionally, he glanced at Leon. His face displayed a dogged determination that was quite uncharacteristic of him. He wasn't sure where they would end up, but as long as they stayed in the country, he was just gonna let him continue.

An hour passed before Leon spoke.

"I know she was just doing what she has always done. But that was Mia magnified by ten times. V, she had you drinking OJ out of a glass." Vince chuckled slightly, "I just need everything to remain the same. No changes."

"Why Leon?" Vince questioned, "You know we would do anything for you, anything you wanted, we would make it happen."

"And I want nothing to change." Leon replied. He pulled the car into a parking lot that was adjacent to a strip of beach. Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned to Vince, "Fancy an ice cream?" Vince nodded and they exited the car. The sun was beating down incessantly on the sidewalk. Women in bikini's filtered past the two men, who afforded them appreciative glances, albeit brief ones. They approached the ice cream stand and ordered. Vince on a pistachio cone, Leon having a vanilla one. Strolling down on to the sand, they found a vacant spot and perched themselves down. The ocean was lapping quietly onto the shore whilst seagulls flew noisily above them. Again, silence filled the space between the two friends before Vince felt compelled to say something, anything.

"Nice ice cream." He uttered, realising it was absurd but going with it anyway.

"Yeah, I should have picked a more exciting flavour." Leon offered before sighing heavily, "What I really want I can't have. I would give anything not to have this thing eating away at me."

"Why didn't you get the treatment, Le? We would have taken care of things, stuck by you." Vince stated, desperation coursing through his words. He still couldn't understand Leon's decision.

"After Dom left and Mia decided to stay at Lou's, it was just me and Let. This was before you came back, before she met John. It was just the two of us, holed up in that house, terrified of being caught. She was still pretty weak from the accident and her mental state wasn't much better. V, she was a wreck." He paused for a while, taking in the scene in front of him. A dog ran across the sand chased shortly afterwards by a jogger. Leon licked at the remainder of his ice cream cone, "Slowly though we were getting back on our feet. Three months after Dom left, I get a call from him. He tells me he is in Mexico, I think he said Baja. Told me he couldn't come back for a while, but that he would, one day. I was furious with him and he could tell. Thing is though, he made me promise that I would look after Letty in his absence. I would have done it anyway, but I promised him and I wasn't about to break that promise. When I found out, he still hadn't come back and I knew I couldn't leave her." Vince stared at him, his mind filled with fifty million thoughts but one resonating louder than the others.

"So, you didn't get treatment because you promised to look after Letty, even though me and John were around and she was a grown woman with a baby."

"You don't get it." Leon stated abruptly.

"You're right, I don't." Vince responded, irritated, before noticing the sadness behind Leon's eyes. He realised then it likely had little to do with some promise, "You don't have to be ashamed of being scared, Le." Leon stared at Vince so intently, he thought he would break.

"I'm not scared." Leon replied with absolutely no truth behind his words, "Fine, I am scared. Is that what you wanna hear? I was scared and I am scared now. I am scared of this thing eating away at me. I was scared that if I had chemo I would become someone that I didn't recognise. Fuck, when did you get so intuitive." Vince shrugged before laughing tentatively.

"Because I've been there. Scared shitless. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of losing absolute control. You life hanging in the balance, literally. Then having everything so familiar to you just disappearing." Vince stopped, his mind diverted back to those lonely days after the heist. "But Le, we would have taken care of Letty. Why didn't you say anything till now?" Silence again filtered into the conversation. After a while though, Leon spoke again.

"I guess I thought it would go away on its own. Only when I found out that I was dying, am dying, did I realise it wasn't gonna happen. I would have told you all. I just had to work myself up to it. Last night was not how I planned it to happen, if its any consolation. Look V, I've just got to do this my way."

"Like Sinatra?" Vince laughed prompting Leon to do the same, "Anyway you want, anything you want, we'll be there." Leon smiled at him before looking back out on the ocean.

"V, I want to be cremated. Just a simple, no bullshit cremation." Vince nodded, taking in his friends words, "That's what happened to Jess, and that is what is gonna happen to me." Again, Vince nodded. It was weird hearing the words come from Leon's mouth. As he continued, Vince realised he had every detail planned for when the time came. He made a mental note of everything he was saying, even if it was causing him more pain to filter through his body. A guy of 29 years of age shouldn't be needing to hear these kinds of plans from his friend. The morning wearied on, the sun becoming more oppressive as they sat on the beach.

"Ready to go back to Mia's house of the insanely clean?" Leon nodded with a laugh and the two men wandered back to the car.

* * *

Mia walked into the kitchen to find Letty busily fixing herself a sandwich. She thumbed the tray in her hand before setting it down on the counter. She didn't know what to say, so decided that silence would be the best course of action. Leaning against the side of the fridge, she watched intently as Letty pressed the two slices of bread around the filling and proceeded to cut it into squares. She placed the four segments onto a plate and turned round to see Mia staring at her.

"I fucked up." Mia spoke quietly. Letty sighed and shook her head.

"Nah, you were just being you. Next time though, tone it down. I haven't seen the windows this clean since," She stopped as she contemplated the last time they had been so transparent, "they've never been this clean, Mi. Mind you, I don't know how you did it, but V drinking out of a glass instead of straight from the carton. That's impressive." Letty responded causing Mia to laugh. Dom walked in behind her, his face considerably less worried than it had been earlier that morning.

"Where's Leon?" He asked as he scanned the room, as if to confirm Leon wasn't there.

"Went out with Vince. Hey Mia, I was thinking. To get you out from under Leon's feet and to make yourself useful, would you mind helping us with the wedding? Like, plan it for us. With the garage and Race Wars coming up, not to mention Maddie, it would be a great help."

"You trust me enough to plan the most important day of your life?" Mia retorted. Dom stared at Letty before looking at his sister and nodding, "Hell yeah. I have all these ideas. It's a week on Saturday right. Ok, so that's plenty of time. You wont be disappointed, trust me."

"We know." Dom added before embracing her tightly, "Let, we going to the garage later." Letty nodded as she stuffed the final quarter of her sandwich into her mouth.

"Where's Mads?" She questioned as she swallowed the bread. Dom pointed to the living room, "Mi, would you mind looking after her today?" Mia shook her head with a smile.

"We can have a girly session." She joked with a laugh, "Your face, Let. A Kodak moment definitely. No, it will be my pleasure. Get to spend time with my favourite niece. We can make a start on the wedding."  
"She's your only niece, Mia." Dom added.

"For now." She added, before feeling a death stare emitting from both Dom and Letty, "Alright, chill you two. Sensing baby number two is a way off."

* * *

The day proceeded at a leisurely fashion. Leon and Vince returned briefly to the house before making their way to the garage. Letty scanned the books and realised the next two weeks would be busy as all hell. Race Wars was due to happen again and it seemed the world and his mother wanted Ollie's Autos to prep their cars. She sighed as she realised that with Joel about to leave and Leon more than likely having to take it slightly easier, they would be in for some long, long days. As she flicked through the papers, invoices and the like, she felt Dom's hand creep up her back and round her waist.

"You alright, mami?" He questioned softly in her ear.

"Yeah." She replied as she turned round to face him, "Will be better once these next two weeks are over. Why does everything happen at once?"

"We can postpone the wedding."

"No," She stated adamantly, "That's not an option, Dom. We got lucky with that cancellation. We can't wait months for this to happen. If not for us, we have to do it for Leon." She realised that Dom had still not accepted the fact his friend was dying, forgetting she had been given longer to come to terms with the situation, "Dom, we will, it will all be fine. I promise." He smiled wearily before wandering back into the garage.

Letty continued to rifle through paperwork before being distracted by the presence of Mia standing at the door, with Maddie positioned comfortably on her hip. She smiled pleasantly at the two of them before noticing the expression on Mia's face.

"What?" Letty questioned, slightly perturbed

"So I go to these stores and realise, I have no money and no way to put down a deposit on anything." Mia replied. Letty, relieved that it was a minor problem, smiled and wandered over to the safe in the corner of the office. She fiddled with the lock briefly before pulling it back. Mia's mouth dropped open wide as she saw the stack of money that filled the box, "Christ Letty. You rob a bank recently?"

"Nah, it's the money from the sale of the house. Well some of it. You know I don't trust banks all that much, so I keep some to one side for safe keeping." Letty replied as she dragged a few bundles out, "This should keep you going." She smiled as she handed them to Mia.

"Yeah, just a bit."

"So how is it all going?" Letty questioned as she took Maddie from Mia's arms. Perching on the edge of the table, she rested her daughter on her thighs, holding her round the waist.

"Yeah, good. Well, will be better now. With the party being in the yard, the venue isn't a problem. The caterers, and by that I mean me, myself and I, can get everything sorted. And the invites, well, I know that won't be a problem." Letty laughed as she recalled the times when they had packed out the house and yard of the old fort just by telling Hector there was a party. Word travelled fast on the racing scene. Sometimes that wasn't always a good thing, but on occasion it had its advantages.

"What about your family?" Letty questioned. Mia smiled proudly.

"I've already phoned them and they are chomping at the bit. Nona is calling everyone up so there should be a fair few. Are you sure you want it in the yard, it isn't the biggest around?"

"Yeah, its home and," She stood up and walked to the door, closing it from the possibility of prying eyes and ears, "We need somewhere for Leon to crash if he needs to." Mia nodded her head sombrely before looking up at Letty.

"You do realise though Let, you have had one of the shortest engagements I've ever come across. Barely three weeks." Mia laughed affectionately, "Suppose there is no point beating around the bush though. Like I said, it was meant to happen." Letty smirked at her cheerful, future sister in law.

* * *

The following two days were a haze of wedding preparations and garage going-on's. A steady stream of customers had meant that the days were long and arduous as predicted, but no one was complaining. Friday evening came around and they decided that a proper send off for Joel was in order. Downing the drinks at the bar, Dom pulled Letty closer.

"We're doing all this work for the race, but you haven't mentioned anything about going. We are going, aren't we?" Dom asked, as he took a sip of his third beer. Letty looked up at him and shook her head.

"We hadn't planned on going. I mean, me and Le have cars, but Vince doesn't and kind of didn't see a point. And now with everything that's going on. Plus, we haven't been back since it all happened. Why you want to go?" She questioned, hoping that he would say no. Everything that had gone wrong had started at race wars. Jesse losing to Tran had started that whole downward decline. Going back would just force them all to relive the memories.

"No. It's fine." Dom responded, sensing Letty's hesitancy, placing a kiss on her forehead, "So anyway, who's up for shots?" He called out with a deep, throaty chuckle, everyone quickly taking notice.

"Letty, Letty, Letty. One week! One fucking week!" The voice sneaked up on her, though it was less sneaky as a full on cat call. She turned round to come face to face with Roxy.

"Hey girl. Yeah, sorry about the rush." She beamed before feeling Roxy's arms enclose her into a tight embrace.

"Luckily, I have the perfect outfit. So why the hurry to get hitched anyway?" She boomed, trying to be heard over the pulsating bass that filled the club. She had caught the attention of Dom, Vince, Joel, Xander, but more importantly Leon. He glanced at her before knocking back his shot, and promptly taking a long sip of his beer. No one said a word for a while, confusing Roxy even further. Slowly Vince got up off his chair and walked over to her. He grabbed her hand and lead her out of the club.

As they stood on the street, the sticky night air prickling at her bare legs, Roxy looked Vince dead in the eye, confused as to what was going on.

"What did I say?" She questioned innocently. Vince sighed heavily before backing up against the wall, "I put my foot in it again, didn't I?"

"You weren't to know." He uttered quietly. He suddenly realised how hard it must have been for Leon to tell them. He wasn't even the one dying and it was taking it out of him just telling Roxy.

"Know what, V? Jesus, just tell me." Her voice sounded desperate, willing him to go on.

"Leon," He stopped, questioning whether it was his place to tell her, "The wedding is happening so soon because Letty and Dom got lucky with a cancellation."

"Now tell me the other reason. The real reason." Vince exhaled long and noisily. He glanced around, unsure why but taking the moment to build up the nerve to just say it.

"Leon's dying." His words hit her like a right cross from a heavyweight boxer. She was floored by his statement, "Leon has leukaemia, and he's been told its now terminal." She stared at him, utterly bewildered. After a very long pause, she began to hit Vince with the same barrage of questions that they themselves had asked Leon. Reciting the answers that he had received, Roxy slowly came to terms with the reality of the situation.

"Let's get back in there then. Can't let Leon think we have deserted him." Roxy replied chirpily.

"You ok with this?" Vince questioned, a little taken aback.

"V, Leon might be dying, but he isn't dead. You've got to appreciate what time you have left with him. Believe me, when my grandma died the one thing I wanted was just one more day with her, doing really mundane stuff. Be thankful for this time with him. It may have taken him a while to tell you, but at least he did. Come on." Roxy replied, taking his hand and dragging him back into the club. Vince smiled warmly as he was hauled back to the bar.

It was approaching 2 a.m. before they decided to call it a night. Letty realised that Mia would no doubt be fretting about their whereabouts if they stayed out any later, not to mention she was missing Maddie. She decided to drag the boys and Roxy back to the fort. Joel, who was thoroughly drunk as he was pushed into a cab, slurred his goodbyes before passing out. Xander laughed and told the others that he would make sure the younger lad got back home safely.

They pushed open the door of the house and strolled in. Mia was busily reading a college textbook on the sofa as the five of them entered.

"Thought you were out for the duration. Good night?" She questioned, placing her book by her side before standing up.

"Yeah not too bad. Joel was heavily sedated by the time he left which is always a result." Leon added, "Anyway guys. I am off to bed. See you tomorrow." They all smiled and nodded as he left the room.

"Yeah, think we might join him." Dom suggested as he dragged Letty upstairs.

"Something I should know about, mister?" She questioned, laughing at how his statement could have been taken in a completely different light. Mia yawned widely as she looked at Vince and the girl standing next to him.

"Do I know you?" She questioned, her tone making it come across more sarcastic than she had intended. Roxy didn't pick up on the hostility, but Vince did. He glared at her.

"Mia, this is Roxana." Vince stated, "Well, Roxy. Roxy, this is Mia. Dom's little sister." Roxy smiled brightly at her and offered out her hand. Graciously receiving it, Mia shook it and returned the smile.

"Yeah, I'm Vince's sometimes fuck buddy." She added unashamedly. Mia smiled at her before glancing at Vince as she noticed Roxy's attention had been diverted. She laughed momentarily, before yawning once more and leaving the room. Vince shook his head before taking Roxy's hand.

"Sorry girl, I've been relegated to the garage." He said as he led her outside to his temporary dwelling.


	31. High And Dry

Chapter 31

The radio blared out in the garage as everyone busied themselves with the tasks at hand. Hearing the phone ring, and noticing that Letty had her 'what the hell?' face on as she stared under the hood of a Honda Prelude, Dom wandered into the office and answered. Still staring at the engine, totally bewildered at what could be causing the clanking sound, she was jerked out of her pondering when Dom's voice boomed into her head.

"Let, phone."

"Can't you get it?" She hollered back, her eyes not diverting from the source of her frustration.

"I did, it's for you." Sighing loudly, she moved from the car and over to where Dom was standing. Taking the phone from his hand, she smiled unenthusiastically, "I'll have a look for you." He spoke before leaving the office.

"Hello? Oh hey Ryan. Yeah, good thanks." Letty responded as she picked up a pen. She began drawing on a random scrap of paper. "Yeah, she's ready to be picked up. Sure, just drop round later. Yeah, no worries man." Letty's scribbling stopped as she felt Dom's hands sneak up under her vest.

"I fixed it." He said seductively in her ear, letting his hands wander.

"See you later. Yeah, that's fine. Bye." Letty struggled out, her attention suddenly diverted to the mouth caressing her neck, the hand on her breast and the arm wrapped around her waist, "We don't have time Dom." She uttered as she placed the phone back on its hook, trying desperately to retain her composure. He laughed in her ear. The deep, rough tone of his voice making it even harder for her to stay focussed.

"I sent them out to get lunch. We have time." She spun round and came face to face with Dom. The wide, cocky grin that confronted her making it abundantly clear that they would have time, even if they didn't. His hand slipped to her waist band and yanked down her zip, her pants falling to the floor. Slipping his fingers inside of her, any composure she was desperately trying to hold on to was lost. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Plunging her lips against his, she felt his tongue snake its way into her mouth, exploring it meticulously, as if it was new to him. His fingers were slowly manipulating her, sliding deeper. As they moved closer, she could feel him against her, hard.

"Fuck me." Letty gasped as she reached for his overall. Pulling them down with little hesitance, her hands were soon wandering down his chest. He lifted her up on to the desk and moved down to remove her boots, followed shortly afterwards by her pants. As she sat on the desk, naked from the waist down, Dom let his tongue wander lasciviously over his lower lip. Without too much delay he wandered between her legs. Letty wrapped them tightly around him, pulling him closer. So wrapped up in their own private show, they failed to realise every blind in the office was open.

As the guys wandered down the street towards the store, Xander began to pad down his pockets with increasing urgency.

"Shit guys, I'll be back in a while. Meet you down there." He uttered as he dashed back towards the garage.

"Yo, Xander wait." Vince shouted out, trying desperately to get the other mechanics attention, "Oh shit."

"Yeah, that was what I was thinking. Oh well, call it an initiation. We've all had to witness it." Leon remarked with a laugh, "And it's not like he's a kid." Vince shrugged as they continued the short distance to the store.

As they entered, the cool air from the AC hit their faces. A much appreciated thing as the LA heat had been scorching down upon them and turning the garage into a sauna. Vince meandered over to the fridge and pulled out some drinks whilst Leon wandered to the snacks stand. As he came closer to the shelves of chips, he heard the all too familiar laugh of Roxy. He peered around the side of the aisle and came face to face with her.

"You stalking us these days?" He questioned as she smiled at him.

"Oh come on, I haven't seen you since Saturday morning. I'm the shittest stalker in the world."

"True, but ain't the whole point of stalking not to get caught," Leon laughed as he felt her arms wrap around his neck, "How you been?"

"I'm good dawg, just getting some ice and shit for Lila. Jesus, pregnant women can be so demanding." She commented as she loosened the grip off Leon's neck, though one arm remained lazily across his shoulders.

"You should have been around when Letty was pregnant." Leon replied with a laugh, remembering the night she had phoned them at 2 am in the morning, demanding that someone go get her ice cream and Oreo's, as John was out and she was craving them. After a quick toss of a coin, Vince had been given the privilege of tending to her needs. Grudgingly.

"You here alone?"

"Nah, V is getting the drinks in and Xander should be here soon, though I dunno what his mental state will be like." Roxy gave him a confused look, "Yeah, Dom told us to go get lunch. In his speak, that only means one thing."

"Seriously?" She question, incredulously. Leon nodded, prompting Roxy to laugh loudly, "The dirty ho. Heads up, here is the offended party now." Leon turned to see Xander walking up to them.

"You could have warned me." He stated, his face a picture of innocence, "I didn't need to see that. Letty, not so bad, but Dom?" He forced out, noticeably horror-struck. Leon and Roxy tried to suppress their laughter, but failed shortly afterwards.

"Sorry." Leon muttered, still trying to get his laughter checked, "Did they see you?"

"You kidding. I was out there in a shot. I wasn't sticking around." By this time Vince had re-joined them, briefly giving Roxy a kiss before staring at Leon, who was in stitches and Xander who looked half pissed off, half in shock. Leon, who had regained his self-control once more, apologised to Xander before announcing he was taking a break.

"You 'right, bro?" Vince asked, concern registering in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. Tell Let for me would you."

"I'll drive you home Le. I need to go and retrieve a few things from yours anyway." Roxy responded, "You mind if we make a brief pit stop at Lila's though. She will hang me out to dry if I am not back soon." Leon nodded and said goodbye to the other two mechanics.

They paid for the grocery's before idling over to Roxy's car. She slipped into the driver's seat before flipping on the stereo. The music blared out of the speakers that thickly lined the interior of her car and the trunk. Some new rap track penetrated Leon's ears and he grimaced slightly.  
"Change it if you want?" She offered as they pulled out of the parking lot. Taking her up on the suggestion, he flipped it on to another disc, thankfully one with a rockier edge, "So you ok?"

"Seriously, I'm fine. I just get tired really easily these days. I'll have a nap and then no doubt I'll be back at the garage." Roxy nodded understandingly. After a short while, they were pulling up outside a small house, the front yard littered with children's toys, "Lila lives here now?"

"Yeah, don't ask. Wanna come in?" Leon shook his head, "'kay, I'll be back in a bit." As she bounded out of the car, Leon watched her wander into the house. Smiling to himself, he realised she would probably be around a lot more these days. He'd noticed in the store, Vinces guard had dropped. It was only a small kiss, but it was a very un-Vince thing to do with someone he was just fucking. There was a new intimacy between the two of them. Roxy had been right though as she was soon back in the car, "Seriously, pregnant women are scary. Thankfully her mom was there. I got off lightly."

"You and Vince?" He questioned knowing that she would understand perfectly well what he was implying.  
"I guess so. We haven't really talked about it, but we are definitely closer than before I went home." Leon concurred with her statement, "So will Dom's sister be at the house?"

"Mia? Probably not. She has been put in charge of the wedding. Dom and Let are not very good at organising stuff like that. So, yeah she'll probably be out with Mads doing girly shit. Why?" Leon asked, looking at her.

"Fancy a smoke?"

"Do I?" Leon laughed as he tried to remember the last time they had shared a joint. It was one of those little routines you fell into. Certain habits were reserved for certain people or a particular time. Roxy was the one who he would have a sneaky joint with. Never with the intention of getting stoned but just to chill out a little.

Walking out into the back yard, the house empty of any activity, Leon perched on the bench.

"How did I not know Letty was pregnant? I was working it out before. She would have been at least four months by the time I left." Roxy questioned as she handed Leon the spliff.

"Guess she just wanted to be certain this time." Leon replied immediately heightening Roxy's attention.

"This time?"

"Yeah, I think she had a miscarriage about two months before she fell pregnant with Maddie. She never came out and said it to anyone, but I know that girl inside out. She totally changed. John was on a site near San Diego, so he never became suspicious at the fact she lived at ours for a while. Guess he just thought she was bored on her own. Anyway, this one week she would live between her old room and the bathroom, barely ate anything. I found this old towel that was covered in blood. I suppose she had forgotten to throw it out. Oh I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it."

"That would be what, eighteen months ago now?"

"Yeah, suppose it would be." Leon replied lazily, exhaling the intoxicating smoke. Roxy nodded her head softly and continued to take a long drag of the spliff. A quiet calm began to filter into the space between them. Listening intently to the sounds of the city neither one of them had much to talk about. Roxy was carefully tiptoeing his illness, "I don't want to die, Rox. I don't think anyone does. But I really don't. I made myself a promise the other night." She glanced at him, the joint slowly receding between her fingers, "I will be here for Maddie's first birthday." Roxy nodded and smiled.

"She is absolutely adorable."

"Yeah, she is. I watched her be born. John couldn't get to the hospital quick enough. Stuck in traffic I think, up near Long Beach. Letty was frantic and Vince was being a complete pussy so I stepped in." He spoke, sighing at the memory, "It was fucking disgusting but amazing at the same time. Like this little thing, coming out into the world. Letty's little creation." Roxy noticed the adoration on Leon's face and emitting from his voice, and she was enthralled with it.

"She is definitely her little girl. No one could ever deny that. My girl is completely in love with her. Dom might be in her heart, but he will never come close to the love she has for Maddie." Leon nodded in agreement.

"So, I am going to live until she turns one, and we will have balloons and cake. Only then will I consider giving up." He added determinedly. Roxy smiled at him, a tinge of sadness resonating through her face. She offered him the last of the spliff but he declined. Sitting once again in the silence, they were both lost in their own thoughts. It was broken though by the sound of a car screeching to a halt on the driveway. Looking at each other, they were baffled as to who it could be until they saw Letty careening around the side of the house.

"Let? You ok?" Roxy questioned, her foot quickly covering the stub on the floor.

"If he thinks I am gonna marry him, he's got another thing coming. Fucking bastard. I can't believe the nerve of that guy. He's so fucking immature at times, and all 'what do you think you are playing at Letty?' 'Why you doing that?'" Letty hollered as she marched around the yard. Passing bemused looks between each other, Roxy and Leon didn't dare say another word, "You would think he was in fucking charge of the garage. You would think that he owned the place the way he lords over it. Fucking bastard." She repeated. Tentatively, Leon raised his voice.

"What happened Let?"

"What happened? What happened? My fucking boyfriend being a dick is what happened?"

"You were fine when we left you."

"Yeah, we were. Then afterwards he gets this great big fucking chip on his shoulder for some reason, goes into a sulk. So I ignore him. Vince and Xander come back. And by the way, thanks to Dom being in permanent fucking heat, I think we have scarred that boy for life." Leon and Roxy tried to suppress a laugh for fear of how Letty might react, "They come back, then Ryan comes round to pick up the car. I was just fucking talking to him. I was not flirting with him. Fucking prick has the cheek to accuse me of flirting with him, like he had never done it before. But I wasn't even flirting." Letty spat out, still pacing around the yard, "He has a go at me, saying it was unprofessional. News for you, Dominic, its my fucking business."

"Chill mami. Want a drink?" Roxy asked as she waked over to a still fuming Letty. Letty nodded before taking the seat Roxy had just vacated, "A strong one?"

"Nah girl."

"You know what he's like, plus you were doing well. Three weeks without an argument. That's impressive." Leon added as he looked at her, noticing her temper was slowly simmering. Letty nodded in agreement.

"Still doesn't change the fact he was a prick. Where's my girl? She still out with Mia?" Leon confirmed that she was and gave Letty's shoulders a supportive rub, "You got any left?"

"Come again?"

"I know you've been smoking. You two always do when ever you get some time alone." Letty said with a smirk. Noticing that they probably didn't, she laughed lightly, "Probably just as well." Roxy wandered back over to the table and placed the glass of orange down.

After a few hours Letty had completely simmered having gone through a range of emotions. Needless to say, the wedding had been put back on and she was certain that though Dom would never be the most laid back of husbands, he was the one she wanted to be with. Most of the time. Roxy took in all the information as Leon laughed pleasantly. As the sun slowly began to set at the end of the day, Letty rose from the table, having decided to cook some dinner. She entered the kitchen at the same time as there was a knock at the door. Wandering up to it, she pulled it back to reveal a bedraggled Mia, standing with the pushchair beside her and an array of bags.

"Mi, why you coming through the front door when you knew we were in?" Letty questioned, a little puzzled. Sighing exhaustedly, Mia shrugged.

"I don't know. My brain is not functioning well at the moment. Here take your daughter, she's been a little angel today."

"I'm sensing sarcasm." Letty laughed as she picked up her daughter from the pushchair. Smiling brightly, the little girl looked up at her mother, "You been naughty for Auntie Mimi, hey baby?"

"Mimi? That had better not stick."

The evening wearied on with little excitement. Dom and Vince returned from the garage, one in a bitter mood, the other relatively chilled all things considered. Looking up from the table where they had been devouring the food Letty had cooked, Roxy saw the look on Vince's face and decided intervention was called for. He looked like someone had pissed in his chips and she didn't want him to take out his bad mood on anyone, especially not Letty or Mia. Hauling him off to the garage, and his temporary bedroom, at the far end of the yard, she briefly glanced at Letty, rolling her eyes. Fortunately for Letty, Dom had calmed down to a tolerable level, even affording her an apology. After listening to the mass of plans Mia had managed to finalise, they decided on an early night.


	32. My Friends

Disclaimer: If you recognise the characters, I don't own them. However, I do own all new characters, especially Maddie and Roxy.

A/N: Here's another chapter. Some small points. Sorry for the lack of editing on the last chapter. Slight oversight, whoops. Roxy was only supposed to have a brief cameo, but I like her so she stays. Also, thanks for the reviews. I know some people are still reading this, and I promise, it all kicks off next chapter. The last couple of chapters have just been fillers, setting the scene and such like, but things begin to move a little quicker starting Ch. 33. This whole thing should be wrapped up within six chapters. Though I am gonna miss it. Anyway, read on...

* * *

Chapter 32

The week passed rapidly. Too rapidly for Mia. It was the day before the wedding and though everyone were taking things coolly, Mia was so insistent on getting everything perfect that she was running her self ragged. It hadn't gone un-noticed.

"Mi, Roxy's gonna help you out today. You know I would love to, but we are just to friggin busy at the moment." Letty said as her soon to be sister wandered into the yard. She looked down, seeing Letty sitting on the grass, legs crossed, with Maddie sitting in the gap it had created. Smiling warmly, she sighed and dropped down onto the step.

"Thanks. I just want it to be right, y'know?" Letty nodded, before looking around Mia as Roxy wandered over.

"Hey girl, you ready?" She hollered and pulled Mia up, "Oh, and I've told Vince and Le that they are to take Dom out tonight, as we need a girl's night in." Letty groaned quietly, her eyes diverting down to look at Maddie. Mia laughed, said her goodbyes to Letty and ambled down the drive with Roxy.

Letty grinned at Maddie before standing up and carrying her back into the house. Dom was standing by the counter, lost in his own little world. She brushed past him as she went to put Maddie in her high chair, breaking him out of his thoughts. It was still relatively early, but they both knew the day would be busy as all hell.

"So, Vince is at the hospital today and Leon has an appointment with the doctor, on the same day?" Dom mused as he ran his hand over his head, "So its just the three of us. Fuck."

"Pretty much. Maddie's with us today as well. I tried phoning Irene, but according to their housekeeper they're on vacation. Should be a nice quiet day though." Letty laughed as she looked at Dom's face.

"Can't we just not open."

"You're joking right? You did see the amount of work we have on, didn't you?" Letty shot back before she realised he was serious, "Dom, we'll be fine. Vince should be back in the afternoon." Realising it was gonna be hell on earth regardless, he conceded and ushered her to the garage with as much haste as possible.

They had barely had time to breathe as the day passed. Vince had come back _sans _bandaged arm and was in a pretty jovial mood. Letty hoped more than anything they could just clear the work they had at a reasonable hour. Everything for the wedding was almost sorted, just the few loose ends Mia was tending to. The last thing they needed was something to go wrong at the garage. Taking a five minute breather, she wandered into the office and picked Maddie up out of the play area. Sitting her gently on her lap, she rested her weary body on the chair and sighed heavily. It must have only been a short while before Leon poked his head around the door.

"Hey girl. Want me to take little 'un home?" He questioned. Letty was a little put out by his request when in all honesty she would have preferred him to be helping them out, but she agreed regardless. He lifted Maddie up off Letty's knee and carried her out to his car.

"Yo Let! Breaks over." Dom shouted from the main workshop. She growled quietly and wandered over to him.

"Since when did you rule the house?" She said with both anger and humour in her tone. Smiling, she lay down on the creeper and slid under the car.

* * *

Leon wandered into the house, Maddie in his arms and was promptly greeted by Mia. She smiled warmly at her niece. All too soon though, her smile receded and she stared at Leon. Giving her a perplexed expression, he didn't have to open his mouth to question her before she was giving him the answer. 

"You get my brother even remotely drunk tonight, I will string both you and Vince up. After the wedding of course, but I will string you up. A few drinks and that is it. Understood?" She retorted in a serious manner, her tone making it painfully obvious she would live up to her word. Leon nodded timidly, "Good, now that is sorted, time to make sure everything is perfect. Oh, tell Roxy that her lunch is going cold." She said before disappearing into the kitchen. Leon finally let the breath he had been holding escape his body and he carried Maddie up stairs for her afternoon nap.

As he placed her gently down into her crib, he looked at Maddie with a face that no longer hid the pain he was feeling.

"Hey baby girl, can I tell you a secret?" He said in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "I am so scared. The doctor said everything was fine, but I don't think, no I know it isn't. I've got this nagging feeling that something is wrong." His hand gently stroked her tummy as her eyes closed, "Baby, I need you to do something. I need you to promise me that you will always be a good little girl for your mom and dad. And John, be good for him too. Not just when you are a little girl, but when you are grown up as well."

"When you get older, your dad may be a little…protective. Just ask your aunt. But it's only to make sure that you are safe. And your mom, never ever cross her when she is in a mood. Actually, never cross her. She can be scary. And look after your uncle Vince and aunt Mia and aunt Roxy for me." Sighing heavily, Leon's eyes had not moved from watching his little niece sleep soundly. "I love you so much. More than I thought it was possible to love someone. You are perfect and so beautiful, and it hurts me to know that I won't see you grow up and see all the stuff you put your mom and dad through. Your birthday's, bullying your siblings, cause you'll be a big sister soon enough, seeing you graduate." Leon could feel the tears building, and the lump in his throat growing with each word he spoke. He stood up straight and smiled.

"Remember though baby, this is all a secret. You can't tell your mom and dad what a sappy person your uncle Leon has turned into. Sleep tight, girl." He wandered out of the small nursery and closed the door gently behind him, carrying the baby monitor in his hand.

Leon was about to leave, when he sensed someone behind him. Turning cautiously, he spotted Roxy standing in the door way of the bathroom. He was about to say something, unsure as to whether she had heard anything, but she quickly turned on her heel and bent down in front of the toilet. Hacking up everything in her stomach, which at this point wasn't so much, she felt Leon grab the loose hair from around her face. Holding it with one hand, he softly rubbed her back with his other, placing the monitor on the floor.

"You ok, girl?" He whispered. Understandably, she didn't respond. Slowly raising her head up, she turned and sat with her back against the bath, "What's that all about, eh? You're not…"

"Pregnant? No. That one I am sure of. Think it may have just been something I ate. Who knows." She responded, in a cheerful manner. Leon looked her up and down, laughing at her dishevelled appearance. Standing up, he offered out his hand, "Let me just brush my teeth. Which one is Vinces?" She questioned, pointing to the pot of toothbrushes.

"That's sick, but it's the blue one." Leon chuckled, "See you downstairs."

* * *

It was 6 p.m. before the others arrived back home. Mia and Leon were sitting on the sofa talking quietly whilst watching Maddie play. Roxy was standing in the kitchen, making a cold drink for herself. She wandered into the room and smiled pleasantly at the three of them. Letty looked absolutely knackered, with Dom and Vince not looking much better. However, after Leon mentioned that drinks were still in order for Dom's last night of freedom, their spirits perked up. After a quick shower and change, Vince and Dom were ready. 

"You get him drunk…"

"Yeah, yeah, we know. See you later." Vince shouted back at her before escorting them out of the house.

"Seriously, he better not be nursing a hangover tomorrow."

"Mia, chill." Roxy stated, offering her a sympathetic smile. After a long sigh, she soon sweetened up and began to drag out some drinks. It was obvious she was looking forward to the girls night in more than the other two, but they would humour her and with alcohol thrown into the bargain, they were even less likely to protest.

They were on to the second bottle of tequila. Letty was nicely drunk, Mia an Roxy a little more so.

"Come on then. Confession time. How many guys have y'all slept with?" Roxy questioned with a wicked grin on her face. She knew Letty's number, but was trying to suss out the young Toretto. She was met by nervous glances, "Let's call the house Las Vegas for the night. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, a'ight? Ok, we will all say it at the same time. One, two, three…"

"Five"

"Four"

"Ten" Each girl spoke, before Letty and Roxy both stared at Mia was shocked faces.

"Ten?" Letty spluttered, "When…how…who…?" Roxy was laughing hysterically at Letty's response.

"Vegas rules ok?" Mia spoke, seeking reassurance from the other two women in the room. They nodded and she continued, "Well, there was Brian, of course." Letty scoffed at the mention of him, "Come on Let. Then after him, there were a few guys when I was living with aunt Lou, and well, yeah, the rest. There's a guy in one of my classes who I am kinda, sorta dating." Letty arched an eyebrow, before joining Roxy in her continued laughter.

"You ho." Letty grinned in a playful manner, "Ok, guess I'll get my kicks, how old were you? 16 here."

"19 from the girl in the corner." Mia said with a smile.

"14. Hey, what can I say? Least I have the least out of all of ya's. How is that anyway?" Roxy questioned, slightly confused, "I feel like a nun compared to you Mia." Mia responded in the only way she could, by throwing a cushion towards Roxy's head. She carried on laughing though, realising it was better to piss Mia off, than Letty.

"Fine then, best lover?" Mia questioned, "Letty?"

"To preserve your innocence, wait, you ain't innocent. Your brother." Letty mocked. She was going to continue, but was cut up by Roxy jumping it.

"No one likes to hear what their brothers get up to, Let," She said with a grin, "Best lover, eh? Guess it's the one I kept coming back for."

"Vince?" Mia stated incredulously. The other two girls shot her a look of surprise, "Sorry, I'm just saying."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roxy said, suddenly suspicious at the outcry. Letty tried to negate the subject, but her attempts were ignored.

"Nothing, I mean…just a shock…didn't think he…can we..." Mia was becoming increasingly flustered.

"Listen Mia. You may have turned your nose up at him, but trust me, he's good. He's very good. Your loss." Roxy chided, staring at Mia with a ferocity she very rarely displayed. Letty sensed the growing animosity between the two of them. She knew that Roxy, though generally quite mellow, had the ability to flip her mood within seconds.

"Ok, so lets move away from that." Shocked at how she was the peacemaker on this occasion, Letty suddenly realised why having men as your closest friends was a damn sight easier, "shots, anyone?" As she spoke, the cries from Maddie's crib could be heard over the monitor. Looking at it with some concern, she glanced back at the two girls. They were still throwing daggers at each other. Her baby took precedence though, "Don't kill each other, I'll be back in a bit." She warned. Roxy glanced at Mia, who did likewise. There was a strange atmosphere in the room. Mia was genuinely sorry for what she had said, but she hadn't realised it would have caused so much offence.

"Look, I didn't mean it to come out that way. I was just running my mouth off, and you know how it is." Mia said, with a slight hint of fear in her voice.

"Don't apologise. I know. Just think next time. Seriously though, big mistake on your part." Roxy laughed, her stare easing into something Mia was more familiar with. Unconsciously, she exhaled and grinned at her brief adversary.

* * *

"So where are you taking me?" Dom questioned with some trepidation. Sure, he was up for a good night out, but he was also beat and just wanted to get back to his soon to be wife. 

"Seriously, just a few drinks. My balls are on the line if I get you too drunk. When did your sister become so vicious?" Leon asked, his eyebrow raised slightly. Dom shrugged. They approached the bar they had frequented on many a night out. Some would describe it as seedy, others would merely avoid it at all costs, but the beer was cold and cheap and that was all they were after. The three of them strode in and marched straight over to the bar.  
"Three corona's, Len." Vince asked the barman. He was an old guy, had worked at the bar most of his life. Knew the three of them like the back of his hand. Had lent a sympathetic ear when the had come to his in a lovelorn state. Though he was surprised to see Dom with them once again, he maintained his cool exterior.

"Dom, nice to see you back here. Back for good?"

"Definitely. Getting married in the morning." Leon cheerfully replied. Len rose an eyebrow and nodded.

"And who is the lucky woman?" He questioned.

"Letty." Dom replied with a wide grin.

"About time." Len said with a laugh as he handed the three men their beers. He wandered down towards another patron at the other end of the bar. Taking a swig of their drinks simultaneously, they swallowed and let out that appreciative gasp that comes with the first mouthful of a cool beer after a long day.

"So Dominic, you always knew this would happen?" Vince interjected. The smug grin that crossed Dom's face told him the answer, "What made you come back though, then, at that moment, after three years." Dom's face grew downcast, not wanting to meet the gaze of either of his friends.

"Things." He responded. However, the intensity of stares that were emitting from his two friends made it painfully obvious that just saying 'things' wasn't gonna cut it, "Look, there was this girl, Asia. We were having fun together. Anyway, one day she comes to me and tells me that something is missing in my life. I tell her, that's not true. She calls me a liar." With one eyebrow arched to his hair line, Leon pressed Dom to continue, "Then, she said that whoever she was, I needed to sort it out because she knew she wasn't the one I was thinking about when we were fucking."

"It was Letty?" Leon offered. Both Vince and Dom gave him an amused glance,

"Yeah Sherlock, it was Letty."

"So you came back." Vince said, with a sense of pride coursing through his body. Dom nodded as he knocked back the remainder of his drink. Another round was quickly ordered.

By the time they had decided to vacate the bar, two more rounds and a couple of games of pool later, it was approaching the early hours of the morning. Vince had drawn the short straw and was at the wheel. He didn't mind though. Finally, after three long years, his arm was co-operating to a tolerable level and he was actually able to drive once more. Sure, racing was still out of the question, but at least he could get behind the wheel of a car. They pulled up on the driveway and slowly made the short distance to the house. The house should have been in near darkness when they arrived. Instead, there seemed to be a hive of activity floating around it. Leon cautiously pushed the front door open before being greeted by an abundance of decorations. Mia was up a step ladder attaching more decorations to the ceiling.  
"Glad to see you made it home." She called out.

"You did all this?" Vince asked, echoing the thoughts of the two other bodies in the hallway.

"Yeah, with a little help from a few friends. Hector and his crew left about an hour ago. Roxy is in the yard. I was just putting the finishing touches to the room. Letty's in bed, disturb her and you will feel my wrath." Mia said forcefully. Dom yawned, emphasising his tiredness by stretching through it.

"Night guy's." He yawned as he made his way towards the stairs.

"Where you going?" Mia stated, one hand on her hip, a trail of streamer in her other hand. Dom looked at his sister before pointing up the stairs.

"I don't think so, you're in the den. We tidied it up earlier, made it homely. It's still a bit crowded down there, but it will do for the night."

"Mi, there is no way I am sleeping in the den." Dom stated, matter of factly.

"Then Vince is and you are sleeping in the garage. Look, its tradition. You shouldn't see the bride the night before the wedding." There was a rumble of laughter from all of them. Letty joined in as she descended the stairs and wandered over to Dom. He placed a kiss gently on her forehead, noting how hot she looked in nothing but his white boxers and a wife beater.

"Mia, its Saturday already. I think it may be too late." Letty smiled, before noticing the scowl on Mia's face. Letty's smile soon disappeared as she turned to Dom, "Actually, I think you should. She's taken care of everything, we don't want to piss her off." A broad, smug smile spread across Mia's face.

"Damn straight. Right people, we have a wedding in the morning."


	33. The Look of Love

A/N: Oooh, a Dotty wedding. Haha. Again, thank you for all the lovely reviews. They really are appreciated. Kita, if that is true what you said, then I am truly honoured. Thank you! I can't believe I am nearing 100. That was beyond my wildest expectations. Anyway, hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

* * *

Chapter 33

Letty woke up and spread out across the king size bed. It felt weird not having anyone beside her, suddenly feeling tiny against the large expanse of mattress. She snuggled into the pillow on Dom's side and breathed in deeply, taking in his scent like it was the first time she had experienced it. Knowing she would be smelling that aroma everyday from now on brought a smile to her face. She rolled onto her back and suddenly became acutely aware of her full bladder. Dashing to the bathroom, she went to open the door only to find it was locked. She pressed her ear to it and could hear Mia singing some asinine pop song.

"Mia, come on!" Letty hollered as she stood impatiently outside the bathroom. Mia had been using it for the past hour. Opening the door without a care in the world, she smiled at her,

"Someone getting nervous?" She teased, laughing.

"No, someone's getting a full bladder. Move." Pushing her out of the way, Letty slammed the door behind her. Shortly afterwards, a less agitated Letty emerged, relieved and showered, and walked back into her bedroom. She glanced at Mia and smiled. She had been right, the dress she had chosen was just perfect for her. Laughing softly, Letty walked over towards her and allowed the assault on her hair and face to begin.

* * *

"Let, I wish you had let me see your dress before you bought it. I hope it goes with your hair alright." Mia added as she tucked a strand of hair behind Letty's ear. She had worked all morning on straightening and styling it, before seeing Letty's reaction. Grudgingly, she had allowed her to go natural.

"It will. Anyway, I like it. That's all that matters." Mia looked at her sceptically, "And don't worry, I'm sure it will meet with your seal of approval. Where's Maddie?"

"Leon's looking after her. She's ready though. I didn't think she could look anymore adorable, but I was wrong. She looks like a princess today." Letty smiled warmly as she heard her coo about her daughter. Mia approached her next question with a little hesitance, "So when is she gonna have a little brother or sister?"

"Not for a while I hope. I love her to death, wouldn't change a thing, but I ain't putting myself through that agony any time soon." Letty asserted, grimacing as she remembered the pain, actually more like torture, of giving birth to her pride and joy. Mia laughed and wandered over to the cupboard, humming some random tune. Floating around for no particular reason, Letty was soon ready to throw her out.

"Go check on the boys and let me get ready." Giving a salute, Mia left the room and left Letty to it. "She's far too perky," Letty mumbled to herself.

She opened her wardrobe and reached around the clothes, numerous pairs of jeans and leather pants, the occasional leather skirt, even a denim one that Mia had insisted that she buy. There, hung at the back though, was her dress. Pulling out the long, cream satin dress, she smiled. It was subtle and feminine but nothing too girly. She felt going for a white dress would be a little lost on her, she was hardly the blushing virginal bride after all, so had settled for the cream colour. Slipping it over her body, it highlighted her tanned and toned skin to perfection. She glanced in the mirror and was more than happy with the reflection. There was a quiet knocking at the door,

"Yeah?"

"Letty, are you… Wow girl. You look amazing." Vince said as he entered the room. She smiled back at him before feeling his arms wrap around her, "Dom is one lucky guy."

"You're just saying that now?" She laughed, holding his hand as it lay against her stomach.

"Well, you know what I mean. Gonna have to put him on a leash until after the wedding. If I was him, I'd be wanting to screw you in a second."

"Nice V, real nice." She said as she slapped his hand and pushed him away. Shrugging his shoulders, she was forced to laugh, "You don't look so bad yourself. Boy scrubs up nicely, given half the chance." Vince grinned at her, as she assessed his attire. Yep, he looked decent, smart even. Wearing a navy blue suit and tie, he could even pass as a respectable human being.

"Come on girl, Leon and Dom have left for the church already and Roxy's already there. I think it's time to tie that boy down for the rest of his life. Well, make it official at least." He handed her the bouquet of calla lilies and roses before taking her hand in his. Walking out of the room and down the stairs, Letty felt amazing. Well, apart from her feet. She was thankful that Mia had forced her to wear her shoes prior to the wedding, but they still hurt her like a bitch. The three of them and Maddie wandered outside and were confronted with a beast of a bridal car.

"Mi? This is like," Letty said with a quirk of her eyebrow. She was impressed, very impressed, but it all seemed a little showy.

"Come on, you hardly thought I would let you get to the church in yours or Leon's cars, did you?" Letty shrugged as she still tried to comprehend the imposing, brand new Rolls Royce Phantom that was waiting at the bottom of her drive.

Slipping into the back seat, Vince placed his hand reassuringly on her knee before smiling at her. She was thankful he was there. Dom had both him and Leon as his best men, but Vince had asked Letty if she wouldn't mind him giving her away. When she had asked why, he simply explained that as her father had died and her blood brothers were no longer around, who else but her big adopted brother to give her away. She had accepted in an instant. Who else, of course. She returned his grin before sighing lightly.

"You good, Let?" He questioned quietly. Letty nodded softly, as if savouring every moment of the day. She never thought they would actually get to this point. Sure, she had hoped, but in the early days they had been too young, then she had believed them to be too busy, and then he went away, and that kind of killed any aspiration she had. When he had come back, she was happy with John, as happy as she thought she could be. Becoming Mrs. Toretto was never on the agenda. Funny how life works. As they neared the church, she turned to Vince with a deadly expression.

"If he ever, EVER, tells you he has cheated on me, promise me you will tell me." Knowing she was serious, he nodded,

"I promise. But you don't have to worry, because he won't." Vince replied and deep down, she knew that he was right, "Trust me."

"Well alright then." She smiled as he got out of the car and offered out his hand, "Ok, less of the formalities. I don't need…" Letty almost formed a sentence before she wobbled on her heels and had to be saved by Vince.

"You were saying?" He laughed. Letty merely scowled at him before reluctantly taking his hand, "Come on girl."

* * *

The church was buzzing with a variety of people. Dom and Mia's family took up a large section. 'Bloody Italians and their big families', Letty thought to herself when Mia had done the Toretto roll call the previous day. Mixed in with them were various racers, some they considered family, some just along to see the show. She could vaguely spot Dom standing proud at the front, Leon flanking him. Both wearing identical suits to the one Vince was dressed in. Roxy was standing patiently on the opposite side of the aisle. Letty laughed softly as she realised the dress was perfect, for Roxy at least. As she walked, in the most dignified manner possible, clutching on to Vinces arm, she could not stop the smile spreading across her face. This was wonderful.

She admired the church as Mia walked down the aisle with Maddie in her arms. The church had seen her baptism, her first holy communion, her confirmation, and on the odd occasion had been privy to a confession or two. She sighed contentedly, feeling Vinces hand grip tightly to hers as it linked through his arm.

"I'm sorry your family couldn't be here." He whispered. She turned to him, her nose wrinkled in confusion.

"What you talking about V? They are." She replied, with an air of delight. His face mimicked her previous one, displaying a look of pure uncertainty, "Dude, you are my family. The only one I would ever want, the only one I have ever wanted. And whether you like or not, you're stuck with me." He pulled her into a tight hug, allowing her mere seconds to move the flowers out of the way, less they become crushed.

"You ready?" She nodded and swallowed hard. This was it.

The walk down the aisle was long, longer than she imagined. Every pair of eyes fell on the two of them and she became increasingly concerned. She felt Vinces hand once more tighten around her own. It reassured her slightly. However, it was looking at Dom, as he stood in his suit looking absolutely impeccable, that she felt most at ease. In that instant she knew this was exactly what she wanted.

He stared at her, his eyes glued to the woman walking down towards him, noticing how she looked tense. A strange sight in his eyes, Letty always being someone who radiated confidence. Tense, that was, until her eyes settled on him. Their eyes meeting made everything more than perfect. He failed to hear Leon's words, hearing only a distant indecipherable muttering in his ear. As Letty came closer to him, letting go of Vinces arm, Dom smiled at her with every grain of his being. He leaned in and whispered in her ear,

"I love you." Her heart melted at hearing his coarse, but tender voice. An involuntary shudder eliciting her body. 'Bastard,' she thought playfully.

"Dearly beloved, we are brought here today to witness to joining of Dominic Anthony Toretto and Leticia," She glared at the priest, praying to the heaven's above her would skip her middle name, "Guadalupe Garcia." 'No such luck,' she cursed. The priest continued the vows, Dom and Letty responding as and when was needed. In that moment, the priest could have said anything and they would have agreed. As Dom slipped the ring on to her wedding finger, gently caressing it once it lay in position, he sighed contentedly. Letty repeated his actions, never taking her eyes off his.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest announced, quite excitedly. There was a chorus of cheers singing out behind them, clapping added into the mix. Dom did what he was told and pulled her tightly into him, his mouth finding hers with no trouble.

* * *

Mia wandered around the back yard making sure everyone was adequately fed and watered. She would never freely admit it, but she was happy taking the motherly role. She spotted Vince quietly sitting in the corner. Sighing softly as she picked up two bottles of corona, Mia made her way over to him,

"Looked like you could use a drink." She stated as she handed him one of the bottles. He glanced up at her and gladly took it off her. Smiling, she perched down next to him, "It was a nice wedding, don't you think?" As he supped back a mouthful of beer, he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it was. You did a great job." He uttered. "By the way, I'm sorry I let on to Dom about you smoking." He offered, feeling like a 12 year old boy. Dom had mentioned it to her, actually scolded her on the issue, the other night. He even made some attempt at throwing them in the bin until Letty had kindly reminded him that Mia was 22 years old and no longer a child. She smiled broadly and laughed,

"Yeah, cheers for that. That was the first one I'd had in months. I think it was justified though." Mia retorted. Vince looked at the patch of grass in front of him, and sighed.

"I still don't get it. He told me it was because he made some promise to Dom to make sure Letty was alright. But she was. She had me, she had John, hell, she had herself. Why couldn't he have just got the treatment? I know he was scared, but why didn't he think of the costs of not doing something." Mia shrugged, genuinely not knowing the answer. She was picking at the label again, Vince noted. A nervous habit she seemed to have picked up. She screwed the paper up into a ball and dropped it on to the floor.

"Where is he now?" She asked. Vince pointed to his bedroom window, "Oh." She mumbled, both of them realising that the assertion of four to six months was probably a little optimistic. There was another uncomfortable silence before Vince noticed Roxy striding over to her with Maddie in her arms. Immediately, he relaxed.

"Hey you." She said with a broad grin on her face, "Where's my girl gone, or do I not want to know?"

"I'm not sure. Last time I saw her, she was with Dom in the living room. Everything alright?" He asked, noticing her face wrinkling.

"I think baby needs a change and well," Vince smiled before beckoning her to hand Maddie over. Standing up, he kissed her and wandered into the house, "Thanks, V. You all right, Mia?" Mia, who was busy sipping her drink, nodded but remained quiet. Roxy noticed the awkwardness of the situation and briefly kicked a tuft of grass that was sitting in her path.

"I really am sorry," She added after a while, "You're good for him. I mean he's a lot different from a few years back anyway, but you seem to just fit."

"Seriously girl, it's fine. Chill a little. And yeah, Vince is good for me too. Calms me down a lot. I've been known to be a little," She paused for a second, "A bit like your brother at times, I guess." Roxy chuckled as she remembered her first encounter with Dom. She pulled a cigarette from her purse and offered one to Mia.

"Nah, given up girl." Mia added with a smile. Shrugging, she lit the cig before taking a moment to gaze over the yard.

* * *

Letty moved her body off Dom's, pulling the hem of her dress back down to its original position.

"I think we need to get back." She whispered, staring down at him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"They won't miss us." He growled, his hand meandering up her leg. Laughing softly, she pushed it away and stood up once more. Dom looked at her, pouting slightly.

"Pouting is so not a good look for you, mister. Come on." Letty added as she held out her hand. He grabbed it and this time did not pull her back. As she adjusted her dress, making sure it wouldn't be too noticeable she had just screwed her husband, Dom wrapped his arms around her.

"You remember that first night." He spoke softly in her ear.

"Do I?" Letty replied, with a little too much enthusiasm. Dom could only laugh.

"I wasn't your first, but believe me, I will be the last man you will ever sleep with."

"Aww shit, well that just sucks," Letty mocked with a wide smile on her face, "And Dom, first and last." He stared at her, confused, "I slept with you before I slept with Jorge. Then I slept with him, and then I broke up with him." A sense of masculine pride crept through Dom's body and he gripped her body tighter.

"Let's go, Mrs Toretto." He said with delight. They descended the stairs and were immediately greeted by Vince, carrying Maddie.

"I don't wanna know. Be down in a mo, stinky here needs her diaper changed." He said affectionately before dashing up the stairs. Letty walked into the back yard and greeted Edwin. He was standing with his girlfriend and their little son. She glanced over at Roxy and smiled.

Sighing happily, Roxy smiled back. The girl looked amazing, standing in her cream dress, her hair flowing down her back. There was a glow around her that only intensified when Dom walked up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. Talking to Edwin, Letty threw her head back in a full bodied laugh, the noise ringing around the yard. Dom couldn't conceal the massive grin on his face, so full of warmth. Vince walked out behind the both of them, and Roxy watched as he passed Maddie back into her mother's arms.

"I knew they would get here, one day." Mia spoke, breaking Roxy out of her enamoured gaze, "It's never been a walk in the park between those two. Jesus, at times it was like world war we lost count. But they are perfect for each other. Come on." Mia added as she grabbed her newly acquired friends hand. They sauntered over to the happy couple.

As the day slowly drifted into night, people began to slope off back to their respective abodes. It was still pretty packed in the yard, but the atmosphere had chilled to that of a small gathering. Leon had woken up once more and was busy playing with Maddie as she sat on the grass, Mia joining in with their games. Dom and Letty were seated on the bench, talking with one of the guys who they were interested in taking on at the garage. The first time they had spoken to him both had come to the same conclusion. He was like Jesse reincarnated. Young, enthusiastic, unbelievably clever and passionate about cars. Vince and Roxy were busy dancing with some other people. They noticed the lack of activity and Vince grabbed Letty's hand.

"If I'm dancing, you're dancing." He shouted to her. She gave her apologies to the young lad, who went by the name of Diego, before taking Dom's hand in her free one and pulling him along. As the music resounded around them, they all danced the night away.

"Wow, he moves quite well to say he's such a hulking mass of muscle." Roxy laughed as she watched Dom and Letty dance. Vince gave her a playful hit against the arm before realising Dom had heard her every word.

"You've got quite a mouth on you there."

"Well," Roxy gulped back, "I was just," She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Dom laughed and shook his head before going back to dancing with his wife, "Will I ever get on his good side?" She stated looking straight at Vince.

"You already are." He laughed before kissing her softly, "Don't worry."

Mia stood up and walked over to the dancing crowd. Leon followed shortly behind her, holding Maddie around her waist, in front of him. There was a short exchange between all of them before Xander approached them.

"Hey guys, do you want me to take a picture of the team?" Everyone was quiet for a while. It had been a long time since they had been referred to as a team. Slowly, Dom nodded and everyone crowded round. Letty took hold of Maddie and rested her on her hip, Dom draping his arm around her bare shoulders. Mia stood next to her brother, Leon next to her and Vince next to Letty and Maddie. Roxy stepped to one side and watched from the sidelines as Xander aimed the camera. He had taken one shot before Dom called over to Roxy.

"Come join in." He asserted, before beckoning her with his hand. She slowly moved into the frame, Vince placing his arm around her waist. A few shots were taken before the team dispersed and everyone went back to what they had been doing.

It was 3 a.m. before the last of the guests finally left. Leon, Mia and the baby had been in bed for a while. It was at midnight, when Mia had decided to call it a night, that they realised just how much work she had put into the wedding. As they sat in the yard, listening to the muted tones of the latest Kanye West CD, Dom felt Letty's breathing steady as she fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. He glanced at Vince and Roxy who were both fast asleep, sitting on one of the cushions that dotted the yard. He smiled to himself, letting a small laugh out from his throat. He slipped his arm underneath Letty's knees, his other around her back and stood up from the table.

"Let's get you to bed, Mami. Looks like someone could sleep for a week."

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Letty mumbled into his chest, eliciting a deep growl from Dom. Her eyes were still closed but she was making her intentions explicitly clear. Carrying her up to their room, he gently placed her on the bed and slipped in beside her.


	34. Lazy Days

Chapter 34

Mia scratched her bottom in a rather undignified manner as she stumbled into the kitchen. Still riddled with sleep, she failed to notice Leon sitting at the table, staring at her with a grin on her face.

"Attractive." He smirked, trying to keep his laugh to himself. Jumping about three feet off the ground, Mia was soon wide awake, clutching her chest in panic.

"Shit Le. Do you have to do that?" Noticing the shit-eating grin on his face, she realised that yes, he did. Grunting at him, she walked towards the kitchen sink. Her eyes were attracted to the mess that had become of the back yard. Vince and Roxy were still sleeping, though it looked like they would be aching like a bitch once they woke up, "You're up early?" She questioned.

"Could say the same thing." Leon replied causing Mia to shrug in agreement, "I couldn't sleep. Got a headache." She looked at him a little closer. Not that she was checking up on him, but her motherly instinct had kicked into full gear when it came to Leon these days. Wandering up to him, she lay the back of her hand against his forehead. He was clammy to the touch.

"You taken anything?"

"What, to add to the cocktail of drugs I am already on," He sneered defensively. Noticing the concern on her face, he softened slightly, "Sorry, no the morphine tablets I'm on should kick in soon enough." Mia wasn't convinced but accepted his answer regardless. She walked over to the kitchen sink and poured two glasses of water. Placing one in front of Leon, she pulled the chair out and sat down next to him. He sipped at the drink gingerly, trying not to look at her. He had no reason to worry about another onslaught though, as her mind were on other things.

"Guess I will be left with tidying up that tip." She muttered as she ran her hand over her head before gathering her hair into her grip and securing it with a band.

"I'll give you a hand. I think Let wants us to go racing tonight." Leon stated, before noticing the pissed off look Mia was currently sporting.

"I told Dom, no more of this shit. He's got a baby to think of now, he can't be running round doing this crap. And Letty is just as bad."

"We ain't ever gonna change, pumpkin. Come on, one night won't do us any harm."

"I'll baby-sit." Mia added with a huff. Leon shrugged before taking another sip of the tepid water. "Anyway, shouldn't they be going on a honeymoon or something. They have just got married." Mia spluttered out before realising she had said the wrong thing.

"I told them to go away for a few days at least. Came out with loads of excuses though like they don't need one, the garage is too busy, will go away later, that kind of bullshit."

"How do you know it's bull?"

"Because it is just one reason after another to get around the real reason they aren't going anywhere." Leon said, his tone terse. Mia glanced at him, wondering whether he really knew, though guessing he was pretty certain, "I'm gonna die soon and they are putting their lives on hold till I do. That's the only reason why three weeks after getting back together they are married. Would never have thought about getting married so soon if we were all fit and shit." Mia drew back in her seat, her eyes sympathising with Leon. He sighed heavily before gulping back the last of the water and wandering out of the kitchen.

* * *

Dom opened an eye, saw that Letty was still dead to the world, snoring lightly as she did, and proceeded to close his eye once more. He couldn't sleep though. Never one to admit his feelings, he was still inwardly ecstatic at the notion that he had actually managed to marry Letty. After loving the woman since she was 16, he finally could say that she was his. And not just his trophy, she was his wife, his equal, his lover. He rolled on to his back and tentatively opened both of his eyes. Staring up at the ceiling, he sighed contentedly. He brought his hand so that it was resting on the small of her back. Stirring slightly, Letty muttered something in her sleep before stilling once more. Dom laughed to himself before hearing the soft crying from the nursery.

By the time he had reached her room, Maddie's soft crying had become louder and showed more vigour. Gently lifting her up from out of her crib, he brought her towards his bare chest and softly soothed her.

"Hey baby, it's alright, daddy's here now." He whispered as he rocked her slightly in his arms. His giant hand ran gently over her head, covered so thickly with black hair. As her crying slowly eased, Dom moved her up his chest so her face was level with his own, "What was all that shouting about, eh sweetie?" Maddie smiled at him and he felt his heart melt. She was literally the spitting image of her mother, "Come on M, let's see what's for breakfast."

After checking that Letty was still sleeping, Dom carried Maddie downstairs and greeted Mia who was still sitting at the table.

"Morning sis." He smiled happily, setting Maddie down on the counter, one hand holding her back whilst the other pulled a cup out of the cupboard. When he didn't get a response, he turned to where Mia was sitting, "Yo Mia!"

"What?" Mia snapped back. Her reaction drew a puzzled look from Dominic, who was now settling himself onto the chair, Maddie on his knee, "Sorry, got up on the wrong side of the bed. You and Letty have to go away." She blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Dom asked, baffled by statement.

"Honeymoon, you have to go on your honeymoon. Leon knows the only reason you aren't going is because he is," She stopped mid sentence, knowing that both knew what her next word would be and so choosing to not say it, "So you have to go away."

"That might be one of the reasons, but its not the only one Mi."

"Bullshit, Dom." She spat out. Dom stared down at Maddie, then at his sister

"Mia! Not when Maddie is in earshot. Look, we will. But at the moment, it's not an option. So get off your soapbox and move on. And before you have a go, we are racing tonight. Letty wants to go and what she says, goes."

"Sorry Maddie, don't listen to aunt Mia." She said tenderly before staring at Dom, "And as for racing, fine. I'll look after my niece."

"Whatever." Dom replied as he watched his sister's body move out of the kitchen and into the backyard, "Women." He huffed, shaking his head. "Present company excluded, of course."

* * *

It was almost noon before Letty finally decided to get up. Having panicked slightly when she woke up to find Dom missing, and then looking in to see her daughter missing, she soon put two and two together and realised the two of them were likely together. Coming down the stairs, she found she was right. Dom was sitting on the sofa, Maddie on his knee, both of them watching Scooby Doo on the television. Walking up behind them, she lay a kiss on the back of Dom's head before wandering round and perching herself next to them.

"Morning Mami," Dom whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. Maddie turned her head and smiled brightly at her mom, "We decided that Scooby Doo was far superior to Tom and Jerry."

"Good choice." Letty said with a laugh.

Vince walked into the room and smiled to himself. Maddie spotted him and held out her arm as she cooed.

"Roxy said she'll see you tonight. Her dad called saying she was needed at the store. Awww, aren't you just the perfect little family?" Vince laughed as he took the seat to Dom's side, "Gonna have a whole brood one day."

"Don't you start as well, Vincent. We've already had this off Mia." Letty chided with a scowl. Raising his hands defensively, he couldn't help a small smirk crossing his face. He still knew how to push Letty's buttons. When they had been younger, it was mentioning anything to do with 'girly' things. Now it was talk of children but she would cave eventually. She loved being a mother and he knew Dom was wanting a little Toretto. Madeline was his daughter, but she was also Johns and it had been decided that she was to keep his surname. Smiling at the three of them, his attention soon turned to the exploits of the scared dog and his mystery solving gang.

The day passed in such haste that none of them had realised they had spent a good five hours just watching cartoons. Leon had wandered in briefly, but disappeared just as quick. Mia had been tidying the back yard in a huff. Even despite their offers to help, she had remained resolute in her belief that they would only get in her way. Not wanting to argue, they went back to their childish viewings. Letty had fallen asleep once more, with her head still resting on Dom's shoulder.

"Babe, I need to take a slash." Dom muttered in her ear, realising he needed to wake her. Had he just moved, she would have fallen down the sofa and no doubt fumed at him for the rest of the foreseeable future. Moaning, she slowly sat up and took Maddie off him. Dom wandered up the stairs and towards the bathroom. He could hear someone throwing up and cautiously pushed the door. On the floor was Leon, retching into the toilet bowl.

"Yo Le, you alright bro?" Dom stammered as he rushed to kneel behind his friend. He was never good in these situations, so carefully rubbed his friends back, his eyes diverted until he realised he had stopped. As Leon slowly moved from his hunched over position, Dom caught the first glimpse of his friend. He looked shocking. Truly shocking. His eyes were red raw, sweat was pouring from his skin and his body was shaking, "We have to get you to a doctor Le. You're not well." Dom stated as he went to stand. Leon grabbed on to his arm and looked up at him in desperation.

"It's nothing, honest. Just a little under the weather. I just need my bed and maybe a glass of water. I will be fine."

"But Le, you look like death." Dom spluttered out, visibly shaken by his friends appearance.

"I'm dying," Leon said flippantly, "Look, no doctors. I just need to sleep this off. Don't give me that look. Now help me up." Dom did as he was told, helping Leon to stand and guiding him back to his bedroom. Cracking open the window once his friend was in bed, Dom glanced back. Everything inside him was screaming to call someone, anyone to help but Leon had insisted on just sleeping.

Having made sure Leon was settled, Dom wandered down into the kitchen. His demeanour though immediately alerted Letty that something was wrong, quickly doing the same for Vince and Mia who had since re-joined them.

"Dom, what's up?" Letty asked, not liking the look in his eye.

"Leon's a little under the weather. I doubt he'll be racing tonight. He doesn't want a doctor though." Dom responded as he poured the glass of water

"It's that bad." Mia said, glancing round at the other two people in the living room. Seeing Dom's solemn nod, she heard her breath catch in her throat.

"If he isn't going, neither are we. Three of us can't go in one car." Letty stated firmly.

"Well, Roxy can always pick me up." Vince offered before catching the ferocity of Letty's stare, "Or not." Letty went to move up the stairs, but was stopped by Dom's large frame.

"I can deal with this Let. You stay down here." She wanted to argue but realised it would be to no avail. The tone in his voice made it perfectly clear the matter was not up for discussion.

He idled back up the stairs. His heart was heavy but still a glimpse of optimism coursed its way through. Walking into the bedroom, Leon looked slightly perkier already. Sighing, he placed the glass on his small bedside table.

"Thanks bro. And you've got to go tonight. You can take mine if you want. Mia's staying here with little 'un, so it's not like I'm on my own. Go on, Letty wants this." Dom nodded, allowing a weak smile to grace his face.

"Sure?"

"Positive."

* * *

With some reluctance, both Letty and Vince agreed to still going to the race. It had taken Leon threatening Letty on the pain of death before she would accept that he would be fine.

"He'll be fine?" Letty asked, as she turned to Vince. Driving to the old industrial estate, it was obvious she was far from convinced.

"He'll be fine." He replied. Vince wasn't entirely convinced but he knew that if it got any worse, then they would take him to the doctors in the morning whether he was willing or not, "You wanna go away with Dom, just say. We can look after the rug-rat."

"Not yet. Later, yeah?" Letty answered. Deep down, she would love to go away, but at that point in time, it wasn't a choice. Leon needed them more. Driving behind them, Dom followed in Leon's car. He'd been impressed that he had managed to get his hands on another Skyline, and coupled with the work they had done to it, old feeling were stirring inside him. As he watched Letty guide her way through the LA streets, he felt that irrepressible urge to race again. 'I need my own fucking car', he thought to himself.

They pulled into the alleyway, and promptly got out. The whole area was bustling with a mix of engine noise, music, talking and general city sounds. Letty scanned the crowd and spotted Diego. Smiling at him, he walked over to them.

"No Leon?" He questioned noticing Dom getting out of the Skyline.

"Nah, not tonight. You seen Hector round?" Letty questioned before following Diego's arm as he pointed over to the opposite side, "Cheers." She wandered over and was promptly bear hugged by him.

"How's the husband?" Hector questioned as he watched Dom talk with Vince and Diego.

"Yeah, good." She said, not even attempting to hide her smile, "I'm buying in."

"Sure girl. 2G, good for you?" Letty nodded and was starting back towards her car, "Yo Let, where's Le?" The smile quickly faded from her face.

"Sick." She mumbled, wishing to bring the conversation to an abrupt end. Hector scratched his chin in thought.

"Leon never gets sick. Everything alright?" He questioned, quickly realising that it wasn't as Letty's face dropped, "I guess not. Angelo, be back in a moment." He called out to one of his team. Guiding Letty into a quiet corner, he looked at her, "What's up girl?"

"Leon's dying. Tonight he's feeling sick. I didn't want to come but he threatened to kill me, or at least have me killed." Hector had by this point shut off. The word 'dying' rendering him dumbfounded.

"Dying?" He mumbled, trying to ascertain whether he had indeed heard right.

"Cancer." Letty forced out, stumbling on the word. Hector brought her closer and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Standing there for a while, he slowly loosened his grip.

"This world has dealt that guy a shitty hand. Man, he's gonna be missed. Can always trust and rely on him. Anything you need, you know where we are girl." Letty nodded and smiled at him. She'd always had a bond with Hector. They took the piss out of him regularly, but she knew that he had her back. Always had., "Ready to race?"

* * *

Mia spread out her textbooks and began to glance over them, attempting to make a start at her studies. It wasn't happening though. She stood up and got a drink, before endeavouring to start once more. When that had failed, she switched on the TV. 'Just five minutes', she thought to herself. An hour later, she realised her plan had gone a little awry. Standing up and stretching, she wandered over to the baby monitor and nervously checked if it was still working as Maddie hadn't made a peep all night. It was and she sighed, thankful that she hadn't missed her little niece crying at any point.

"Guess I should check on her and Le?" Mia muttered to herself.

Wandering up the stairs, she suppressed a yawn and trudged quietly towards Madeline's bedroom. Gently opening the door, the crack of light from the hallway falling onto the crib, she smiled softly. Staring at her, Mia could feel herself getting broody, but she knew it would be a few years yet until she would even consider having a baby. Too much hassle. She snuck into the room and looked over at the sleeping child. Her smile broadened as she watched her hands move and clench into little fists.

"Yep, just like your mommy. Night, night sweetheart." Mia whispered as she walked out of the room. Wandering down the hallway towards Leon's room, she immediately sensed something wasn't right. Pushing the door open, she could hear Leon's muted moaning, mixed in with audible shivers. Flicking the light on, the sight that greeted her brought fear to her entire body.

"Leon!"


	35. Last Request

A/N: So, I didn't want you waiting too long and I have actually completed the story now, so updates will be pretty frequent. Thanks for the reviews again. They really are appreciated and make writing this worthwhile, well more wothwhile. Oh, and slight note: I am not a nurse nor am I doctor, and my medical knowledge is a little lacking. However, I have done my best. (Thanks as well to ames) Ok, read on...

* * *

Chapter 35

"Leon! Shit man, you alright?" Mia cried as she fell onto her knees by the side of his bed. His body was drenched in sweat, he was shivering profusely but as she lay her hand against his skin it was hot, burning. The sheets his body was wrapped in were damp. His breathing was being hindered by painful coughing. Despite knowing his likely response, she had no option but to call the paramedics.

"Le, we need to get you to hospital. No, no protesting Leon. You're really sick." Mia said forcefully as Leon grabbed on to her arm, "I need to just grab the phone. I'll be back in a minute." She rushed out of his room and into her brothers. Picking up the cordless, she dashed back to Leon who was holding his stomach tightly, "Sweetie, where does it hurt?" She questioned as she allowed him to guide his hand onto his stomach.

"Mia, I can't die in hospital."

"Leon, you're not going to die." She whispered as she placed the phone to her ear. Grabbing his hand tightly, she waited to be answered, "Yeah, hi. I need an ambulance. My friend has a high fever, stomach cramps, his breathing is laboured. Yeah ok. Yeah 2419 Oakland Drive. Right. Thanks." She hung up and immediately ran to the bathroom. Grabbing a cloth she drenched it in water and brought it back, placing it carefully on Leon's forehead.

"Sweetie, I have to phone the others." She said as calmly as possible, before dialling Letty's cellphone number. As she waited patiently for her to answer, she was inwardly screaming out for help. The little training she had received had shown her how to act like a duck, calm on the surface but paddling like crazy underneath. Tonight though, she just wanted her families help.

"_Mia? Everything alright, girl?_" Letty asked as she answered, "_Yo one minute. V, Roxy wants a top__…_"

"Damn it Let, it's Leon. Come home now." Mia barked down the phone before hanging up. Her mind was running in five million directions. She didn't want to take Maddie to hospital with her, but knew that bar a miracle, the team wouldn't be back before the paramedics got home and she would be damned if she was letting Leon go on his own. She squeezed his hand as she wiped his forehead once more, gently whispering in his ear as she did, soothing his restless body. It felt like an eternity as she sat by his side, calming him, reassuring him that everything would be fine. A sickening thought was brought so clearly back to her mind. All she could see was Jesse. It wasn't Leon on that bed, it was Jesse. It wasn't sweat on Leon's body, it was Jesse's blood. Trying desperately to suppress the memories, she was brought back to the present.

"Babe, I need to answer the door." Mia said as the paramedics knocked. Rushing down the stairs, she opened the door, was greeted by two men and dragged them upstairs.

"Ma'am, how long has he been like this?" The older of the two men spoke taking in the sight in front of him as his colleague attempted to get some details out of Leon

"He's been feeling ill all day, but he was fine about two hours ago." The paramedic nodded before catching the worried look on her face, "He has cancer, leukaemia. It's terminal. Will he be alright?" Mia questioned. The man nodded but she knew that look. It was a patented expression. The one they would adopt when the outlook was decidedly shaky.

The room whirled round as the paramedics tried to calm Leon down. Mia stepped back and leant against the door as she watched them with him. After a short while, she heard the distinctive growl of the two cars. Finally something was working in their favour tonight. Sighing heavily, she slipped down on to the floor, her body relieved at the knowledge that she was no longer alone.

"You ok, ma'am?" The younger paramedic, whose name badge read Josh, asked once he saw her sitting on the floor. Mia nodded and it seemed to placate him. A moment later, Letty was running into the room. Seeing Mia on the floor, the paramedics crowding around Leon's bed and the state of the sheets, she was temporarily floored, her senses overwhelmed.

"Le, what's going on? Is he alright? Bro, it's alright, I'm here. I'm here now." The following few minutes were a blur. Leon had been taken to hospital with Letty holding his hand in the van, Vince and Dom had followed behind in the Skyline, whilst Mia and Roxy had stayed at home with Maddie.

* * *

Forced to stay in the waiting room, Letty was pacing round incessantly. Her nerves were frayed and she could sense the eyes of the rooms other occupants baring down on her. It didn't matter though. As Dom walked in, she strode over to him and delivered a right cross into the side of his face. A number of other relatives gasped in shock after witnessing the event, unsure as to how the tall, built like a brick shed man would react. Dom, though not expecting it, did not physically retaliate, much to the relief of everyone in the room.

"What the fuck Letty?" He shouted at her as he clutched his cheek.

"I knew we shouldn't have gone." She cried back, her pacing recommenced. Vince strolled in behind and right away noticed the tension, "You said he would be alright." Letty said, directing her anger towards him.

"He will be. They will sort him out." Vince replied, gazing at his friend who was already sporting a nice red welt on his face, before turning his attention to the angst ridden woman that was inhabiting Letty's body. She was slowly losing her grip on the situation and he knew he would have to intervene. He grabbed the tops of her arms and shook her slightly, "Let, calm down. Trust me, you act like this in a hospital and they will remove you, or even sedate you. Leon will be fine. He is in good hands. Now sit." His tone made it perfectly clear that arguing against him was not an option. As she sat down, he placed himself between her and Dom. As her leg bounced rapidly on the spot, Dom was still a little bewildered from her violent outburst but had no desire to hold it against her.

Four hours had passed before they saw a doctor walk towards them. He was a short man, of Asian descent, and walked with a slight limp. Dom glanced up and, upon realising he was wishing to speak to them, rose from his seat. Vince and Letty soon did the same, turning to look at the doctor. He wore the same expression that the paramedic had shown to Mia. Fortunately, they were unaware of the implications behind it.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Yeoh. Are you the family of Leon Michaels?" They all nodded, urging him to continue, "It appears that Mr Michaels is suffering from pneumonia. Ordinarily, it is a serious illness, however given Mr Michaels condition."

"Doc, just call him Leon." Vince asked, not liking the way he was referring to his friend so formally.

"Very well, given Leon's condition, this illness has been more aggressive. We have given him a slight morphine increase for the pain, put him on a course of antibiotics and he is on a saline drip to re-hydrate him. However, he has deteriorated rapidly and as such is currently being assisted with oxygen. He will need to stay in hospital." The news came as a blow for the three of them. All the little details were adding to the pain, the last part being the deal breaker. "You can see him, just follow me." They sombrely followed the doctor. Gripping tightly on to her hand, Dom kept glancing at Letty, making sure she was alright.

As he led them into the room, they were shocked at Leon's appearance. It seemed as the illness had wiped him of his entire being. He looked frail against the white hospital linen, the many wires attached to his chest compounding his delicate situation. His breathing was still laboured but when his eyes fluttered open, a collective sigh of relief rang through the room.

"Hey brother, you scared us back there?" Vince spoke as he walked to the side of the bed.

"Sorry." Leon muttered, before beckoning the other two over towards him. The tiredness that ravaged his body was momentarily halted as he conversed with the three of them. He wanted to sleep, but wanted to keep them with him for as long as possible. They could all tell he was weak, in dire need of some rest, yet at the same time knew that he didn't want them to leave. It was with some unwillingness that Letty realised they would have to leave.

"Anyway Le, I think we are about to be kicked out. See you in the morning." Letty stated as she kissed him on the head, ruffling his hair slightly as she did. Vince pulled him into a hug, as did Dom, before leaving the room. They got into the Skyline, Letty opting to ride in the back, and drove back in silence. When they reached the house, it was silent. Realising that the two women had probably gone to bed, they silently crept into the house. They hadn't spoken since leaving the hospital and no one was in the mood to talk now they were at home. Vince wandered to the garage to join Roxy, whilst Dom and Letty went to their own room. Sleeping was a foreign concept in the fort that night.

* * *

Leon had been in the hospital for two days and though the prognosis had improved, he knew it was only a matter of time. His room had seen many people come in and visit him. The team were there constantly, each taking it in turns to make sure he was never on his own. He looked at Letty, who was sitting in the chair, reading a newspaper. As her eyes scanned the paper, he could see the lids falling, then jerking awake.

"Let?" He whispered softly. No reply came, so he called her again with a little volume to his voice, "Letty!"

"Yeah, you ok? Everything ok." She responded, startled by his sudden shouting

"Go and get a drink. You are falling asleep, mami."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'll be fine." Leon stared her down, not convinced in the slightest by her protestations, "Alright, if it will get you off my back." She conceded, managing to rouse a smile from the patient. She wandered over, kissed him and walked out of the room. Leon sighed heavily knowing that this was all taking it toll on everyone, Letty especially. He didn't want them to be suffering. Couldn't bare the thought of the pain he was putting them through. In her absence, Dr. Yeoh entered the room.

"The room is empty, Leon?" He remarked with a smile. He had come to realise that his patient was a popular guy, with an abundance of friends and a supportive family. He knew Letty especially well, and was shocked when he couldn't see her. Leon reciprocated the smile, "How are you today, Leon?"

"Still here." He responded bluntly.

"The antibiotics seem to be keeping the pneumonia at bay, which is good. Any pain?" Leon shook his head,

"I could go ten rounds with de la Hoya." The doctor looked up from his notes and gave a blank nod. 'Obviously not a boxing fan', Leon thought. "Listen doc. I know I am going to die. I know it will be soon. I don't want to die in here. No offence."

"None taken, Leon. Well, give it a few days and we will see."

"Please, I just want to go home and be with my family. They can't keep coming here." Leon said, his voice breaking with sadness, "I'm tired." The doctor gave him a sympathetic look and nodded before leaving. As he left, Letty re-entered with a drink in one hand and the other holding her daughter round her waist as she sat on her mom's hip. Walking over to the bed, Letty placed Maddie on the bed and Leon brought her up to sit on his lap.

"Hey baby. You been good for mommy?" He questioned, before bringing his eyes up to Letty, "Dom drop her off?"

"Yeah, said he will be in in a while." Leon nodded and continued to play with Maddie. Letty wandered over to the window and leaned on the sill. Looking down into the car park, she could see Dom standing by the car. From the way he was holding his body, she could tell that he was fighting back the urge to destroy something. Yet, rather than rage that consumed him, it was grief, "Le, you ok with Mads? I need to do something." Leon nodded and smiled happily at his niece. As the door closed behind her, Leon glanced down. Maddie had laid down on his chest, something he wasn't entirely comfortable with, but he wouldn't for the world move her.

"Hey sweetie. You falling asleep there?" He questioned, before bringing his hand up around her to stop her slipping off, "Yeah, that sounds good." He mumbled before closing his eyes.

* * *

Down in the car park, Letty walked over to Dom and wrapped her arms around him. He flinched slightly until he realised who it was.

"Its gonna be ok, Dom. Don't let it all build up though." She whispered. He turned round in her arms and looked down at her. His hand stroked her face delicately,

"What did I do without you?" He muttered before kissing her softly. Standing there for a while, his eyes not leaving her, he sighed, "It's not right. Leon is a great guy. He shouldn't have been dealt this."  
"I know, Dom, I know. Life is like that sometimes. They don't call it a bitch for nothing. You coming?" She said as she grabbed his hand. Pulling him slightly, he was soon following her. As they walked back into the room, they were greeted by the doctor and a smiling Leon, although it was obviously not one filled with absolute happiness.

"Let, Dom, I'm coming home." He proclaimed sadly, though he continued to clap along with Maddie. They looked at the doctor, shock registering across their faces. He turned to look at Leon, "It's alright, I can do this."  
"Do what Le?" Dom questioned as he lifted his daughter up off Leon, noticing that she was becoming quite exuberant all the while crushing his chest.

"Right, I need you to understand that this is my choice. The doctor has advised against it but I have to do this." His tone was concerning both of them, as they shared nervous looks, "I'm coming home. I'm discharging myself. There is nothing more they can do guys and I don't want to die in this god-forsaken place. It could be a day, it could be a week, but I am gonna die soon and I refuse to do it here." Their gazes looked from Leon, to the doctor and back to Leon.

"Doc, there must be something else you can do?"

"Letty," Leon said firmly, "This is not a choice I have taken lightly." He said, gathering all his thoughts. He looked at the little girl, sitting quietly in her father's arms and his heart sank further still, "Guys, I'm tired, there's nothing they can do. I just want to go home and spend whatever time I have left with the people I love." He was struggling to hold back the tears at this point. Letty walked to his bed and smoothing back the hair, gently took hold of his hand.

"Then let's go home Le, let's go home."


	36. Morning Theft

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I can't believe I am finally posting this chapter. It has been written for a long while now, pretty much unchanged. Just sat down one night and wrote it, flowed surprisingly easy. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I'm not going to say anymore.

* * *

Chapter 36

Leon was back home a little over two hours after he had come to his final decision. The grief that consumed Dom and Letty was soon overshadowed by ensuring that they made his last few days as good as humanly possible. Walking slowly, painfully, into the living room he was greeted by his family. He sat himself down on the sofa and proceeded to be ambushed by Mia, making sure he was entertained and generally just filling him in on everything that had been going on in his short absence. It was obvious that he appreciated the gesture, none of them making him feel like he was dying, despite it being the truth.

After putting Maddie to bed, Letty settled down to watch Enter The Dragon with the others. Vince slipped the DVD into the player and sat back. It felt weird to have everyone in the room once more. The days without Leon in the house had been strange, but with grim realisation Vince knew they would have to adjust to it soon. He glanced round the room and caught Letty's eye. She smiled at him, though it was obvious it masked the pain she felt. Leon was lying on the sofa, exhausted but refusing to sleep. Dom, who was busy stroking Letty's hair as he sat behind her, had his eyes firmly focussed on the screen in front of him. Mia and Roxy were snuggled up on the other sofa, a blanket covering them, Roxy's hand firmly in a bowl of popcorn. He laughed at the two of them. Mia had been so hostile to Roxy when they first met, and now they were acting as if they had been friends forever. As the movie began to play, Letty flicked off the light, plunging the room into near darkness.

"Now you two, no funny business." Vince mocked, before feeling a cushion against his head.

"V, shut up." Dom muttered.

* * *

As the closing credits rolled and the light came back on, Letty glanced at Leon. His eyes were closed but by the movement of his chest, she knew he was only sleeping. Dom rose from his seat and wandered into the kitchen. As he passed Leon, he noticed what his wife had noticed and sighed with relief. Vince laughed and pointed to the other sofa,

"Guess she got a little bored?" He said, grinning at Roxy.

"Yeah thanks, V. For someone who weighs as little as she does, she is like a dead weight when she's asleep. My arm is numb." Roxy cried, causing Letty to join Vince in laughing at her, "Let, wake her up please." Complying, Letty shook Mia gently. Realising she wasn't getting anywhere, she resorted to a good punch on her arm. Mia jumped and groggily stared at the perpetrator.

"Come on girl. Bed time. Roxy wants full use of her arm back." In no state to argue, she nodded wearily and stood up. Walking towards the stairs, she leant over the back of the sofa. Kissing Leon on his head, she whispered something that no one could hear before walking off.

The three of them glanced at Leon, who was still sleeping soundly. They didn't need to say anything to know they were all thinking the same thing. It wouldn't be long before he passed away. The past couple of days had been hard on all of them. Slowly watching the life ebb away from him. That night at the races had shown them how much people respected him. Hectors words ran through Letty's mind. He was right. If there was ever anyone needing help, Leon would be there. Sure, Dom was the one who everyone looked up to and Vince was the one they feared, and when Jesse was around, he was the one they went to if they needed expert advice, but Leon was the steadfast member of their team. Always willing to help, always looking out for the others. Letty knew more than any of them just how true that was. It upset her to know that the reason he hadn't sought treatment was because he had promised Dom that he would make sure she was happy and safe. Yet at the same time, she knew that was his way. Dom wandered back into the living room and glanced at them.

"Do you want me to carry him upstairs?" He questioned. Leon stirred on the sofa, before slowly opening his eyes.

"No, I will walk." He spoke, his voice struggling to escape his mouth. Realising he was serious, Dom helped him to stand. He was weak on his feet and Vince was quick to assist him as well. With Dom and Vince on either side of Leon, they slowly made their way towards the stairs. Each step he took, painful to watch.

"Night Leon." Letty said as they slowly climbed the stairs.

"Yeah, night Le." Roxy echoed, her voice cracking under the worry. As the shadows of the three men disappeared from sight, Roxy turned to her friend. Tears had begun to fill Roxy's eyes, one falling silently down her cheek, "It's not going to be long now, is it?" Letty shook her head.

"No, it's not." She said sadly, not really knowing what to say, "Come on girl. We need to tidy this room. Did you eat all that popcorn, you greedy ho?" Roxy was confused at Letty changing the subject so quickly, but dismissed it. This was neither the place nor the time to hassle or question her. They gathered the various items strewn across the floor and chairs, and carried them into the kitchen.

After a long while, Dom and Vince joined them. No one had the energy to talk, they simply sat around the table in silence. A short time later, they heard a shuffle on the stairs and Mia walked in. She pulled up a chair beside her brother.

"I couldn't sleep." She whispered, trying not to disturb the silence too much. Letty smiled at her before handing her a drink. Accepting the offer, she sipped back on the beer. The silence came down around them like a thick shroud.

Letty looked around the room, noting how each person was dealing with it. Mia was taking it the worse. Her tired expression struggling to hold back the tears. She reasoned it had something in part with having to watch Jesse die. She couldn't imagine how hard it had been for her to cradle the body of her friend in her arms, slowly watching the life fade from him as the blood oozed from his wounds. They had talked about it once, all those years ago when they were in hiding. Mia was eternally optimistic and was just happy that he hadn't died alone. Letty knew that deep down though it had scarred her. She turned to see Roxy. A girl who Leon had been the first person to approach. She was thankful for that. Roxy had proven to be a good friend to him, to all of them, but she knew the times she had spent with Leon had helped both of them.

Vince was more of a mystery. He's temperament had changed so much since the accident. He was more open to admitting his feelings, able to appreciate the fact that it was alright to feel upset. Yet, as she looked at him, she couldn't gauge whether he was still in denial. Praying for some miracle perhaps. Dom was the opposite. He had resigned himself to the fact that Leon was about to die. Letty could see the face she had witnessed when he was coming to terms with his father's death. Those few days after he had died had been terrible and she prayed that being older would make the coming days easier for him. If only by a little.

No one was really aware of the time. It was irrelevant given the circumstances. But slowly, one by one, they moved away from the table and to their respective rooms. The last one to leave was Vince. He held his beer bottle tightly in his hand, almost willing it to break under the pressure. After a while though, it was him that broke. Shaking his head in frustration, he rose from the table and dropped the bottle in the trash can. Wiping his face to rid his eyes of the tears that had formed, he left the kitchen and slowly walked out to his makeshift room in the garage to join Roxy.

* * *

Dawn came with little haste. Letty could already hear Mia in the kitchen. She was getting a little too used to Susie Homemaker being back home, knowing that Mia would be returning to New York soon enough. It was nice that she was home though. Even if she had relegated Vince to the garage. She nudged Dom to wake up and he stared at her through squinted eyes.

"Morning." She whispered softly. He grunted some sort of greeting before rolling away from her, "Hey Dom, wake up. Breakfast sounds as if its about to be served. And from the smell, I'm thinking Mi went all out." She said in an attempt to rouse him. Crawling to the bottom of the bed, she grabbed her robe and walked in to Maddie's room. Traipsing over to the crib, she lifted up her daughter. "Hey baby. Time for breakfast." Letty muttered as she left the room.

She had been right. Mia was busy dishing out breakfast for the troops and had laid on an impressive spread. Vince and Roxy wandered in from the garage. He wiped the sleep from his eyes before stretching. Letty laughed at him, realising how much like a Neanderthal he looked in the morning. Roxy poked him in his side, causing him to double over mid yawn. Sitting at the table, they were soon joined by Dom. He took hold of Maddie, placing her gently down on his knee's. It had only been a few moments before they realised that one of them was missing.

"I'll go see if Leon is awake yet." Letty murmured, rising from her chair. A deep sense of trepidation made its way through her body. However, she forced it down within her and wandered up the stairs.

She walked into Leon's room and went to draw back the curtains. The sun streamed through the window, partially blinding her. Turning round quickly to avoid the brightness, her eyes were brought immediately to the bed. Leon was pale and looked so ill, any traces of his former fun-loving self were ebbing away with each passing second. She glanced at him, suddenly unsure whether he was asleep or had actually passed on in the night. Slowly walking towards his bed, Letty braced herself for the possibility that he was no longer with them. Her every move slowed down, each step she took was deliberate. The time they had spent preparing for this moment was worth nothing as she stooped at the side of his bed. Delicately lifting his arm, she was relieved to feel the warmth emit into her hand.

"Hey Let," Leon said in a barely audible voice, "thank you." Letty smiled at him, relieved that he was still with them. He looked at her, his eyes clinging desperately on to the last glimmer of spirit that he was known for. The battle was slowly going against his favour, each breath he took, a little more of him slipping away.

"Just letting the light in. It was like a cavern in here." She said, trying to force back the quiver in her voice. He gripped her hand tightly, a smile slowly coming to his face. She could tell it was taking every ounce of effort.

"No, thank you." Leon repeated, every word a struggle. Letty gently stroked his hand with her thumb, "For Maddie," He paused before his arm raised and he pointed to the bedside table. Understanding what he meant, she nodded.

There was a long silence. Nothing more needed to be said. They could hear the mumbles and soft laughter of everyone from downstairs, occasionally interspersed by the baby cooing. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and crisp bacon rashers was slowly being dispersed around the house. Letty listened intently, noticing Leon's breathing had become irregular and strained. Every breath he took was a fight for him. From outside, people went about their business. The noise of a car engine would pass by every now and then, the distant rumblings of the freeway making sure it was never silent. Children playing noisily in the street. Teenagers answering their cell phones though allowing them to ring just long enough so everyone heard their latest ring tone.

The wind caught the curtain and it began to flail around, every so often covering the picture on the cabinet. Letty glanced at it, smiling. It had been such a great day, surpassing any idea she might have had when she was younger. Looking at her family, she smiled contentedly. In that moment, everything had been perfect. She jumped as the curtain knocked the frame off its shelf and causing it to fall on the floor. Releasing her grip on Leon's hand, Letty wandered over to it and picked it back up. She rubbed the glass delicately with her hand, smiling as she placed it back in its place. Consciously placing it slightly further back.

Gazing out of the window for a while, she laughed to herself. There was a young girl standing with a taller, and obviously older, boy in a headlock. Their three friends were standing on the sidelines, laughing loudly as she continued to hold him there. His moans and yelps only to prove more humorous to them all. Two younger girls were sitting on the grass nearby, playing with a cat's cradle. Everything seemed so idyllic and innocent.

"Do you want any breakfast, Le?" She questioned, knowing the likely answer but wanting to give him the option. Her eyes broke away from the window, "Mia has cooked some," She turned round to face him once more. The colour in her face slowly crept away. Her heart jarred. As she inhaled, her eyes closed and everything was silent. An eerie, calming silence. Opening her eyes once more, she cautiously moved over to the bed and kneeled by the side. Taking his hand once more, this time there was no doubt. Resting her head beside him, she finally exhaled.


	37. When It Hurts So Bad

A/N: That chapter made me cry when I wrote it. Though I did it, I didn't want to kill him off. And yeah, you will probably hate me for this chapter as well. 'pologies in advance.

* * *

Chapter 37

She didn't know how long she had been there, kneeling beside his bed, gripping his hand tightly, but after a while she felt someone standing behind her. Turning her head, she was greeted by Dom towering over her.

"When?" He whispered as he crouched down beside her, the emotion evident in his voice.

"How long have I been gone?" Letty asked

"About twenty minutes."

"It was about ten minutes ago. I went to place the picture back on the shelf, and when I turned round, he," She didn't continue, couldn't continue. It was as if saying it would make it real, even though there was no doubt in their minds, "I should have told you." Dom shook his head before drawing her closer to him. She released her grip on Leon's hand, placing it carefully by his side. She turned her head into his chest, and breathed heavily, forcing back the tears. She had to be the strong one. Pulling away from him, she stood up.

"You alright?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, I'll go tell the others." She uttered, barely raising her voice loud enough to be heard.

Walking down the hallway was hard. Her legs wanted to give way with every step she took but she had to be strong. Descending the stairs, Letty could hear the banter between her friends. They sounded happy and it pained her so much that she would have to break up their contentment. Rounding the corner, into the kitchen, she paused for a second. Vince was busy eating a round of toast, laughing at Mia who was feeding Maddie. Roxy was standing by the counter, talking about a girl she had served in the restaurant the other night, whilst sipping back a large glass of apple juice. It was Mia who noticed Letty first. Staring at her, she knew instantly. Her face slipped from happy to sad in a brief moment.

"He's gone, hasn't he?" She whispered, her hand still holding the spoon she had been using to feed Maddie. Vince and Roxy were notified of Letty's presence as they heard Mia speak. Staring at her, they watched as her head slowly nodded.

"Yeah, he's gone." She whispered. Vince quickly left the room, closely followed by Roxy. Mia watched Letty, "Go on, Mi. I can take care of Maddie now." Pushing back the chair, causing it to grind loudly against the floor, the noise grating against Letty's broken heart, Mia stood up and left the room. Letty walked over to her daughter. She perched on the chair Mia had a short time ago vacated and took the spoon that she had been using to feed Maddie. Sitting there in the stony silence, not even the birds making a noise, she started to feed her daughter the remainder of her breakfast. Even Maddie was quiet, almost sensing the heartbreaking emotion that weighed heavily on her mother. As Maddie ate the last of the food from the bowl, Letty picked it up and discarded it in the sink. She took her daughter into her arms and slowly began the climb back up to Leon's room.

There was a heavy, oppressive atmosphere as she entered. No one was speaking, too numb to form a sentence. Mia was sitting on the edge on the bed, crying silently. Dom was still crouched beside the bed, his eyes almost willing Leon to breathe once more, to make this just one momentary nightmare. Roxy was stony faced as she stood by the window, whilst Vince paced relentlessly around the room, holding his head in his hands. Coughing slightly to break the silence in the room, Letty bit on to her bottom lip before speaking.

"I'll phone the funeral home and then tell Xander to go home. The garage doesn't need to be open today." She uttered, her voice monotonous, though tinged ever so slightly with sadness. It was as if she had switched on to autopilot, erecting a barrier against her grief. No one responded so she simply left the room.

* * *

Within a couple of hours, Leon's body had left the house. Vince had informed them all of the plans he had made, not realising just how quickly they would have to be implemented. Letty took them all in, resolute in her desire to get every detail right. Mia cooked a meal that everyone ate in silence. No one knew what to say nor what to do with themselves. As the day slowly wearied on the sound of voices slowly filtered back into the house.

"We need to tell people when the funeral will be." Dom uttered, as he looked over the living room. Everyone looked up and nodded.

"I'll do that," Roxy added, sitting on Vince's knee, her hand gently on his as it lay round her waist, whilst the other stroked his head delicately, "You guys have enough on your plate at the moment." Dom nodded and gave a fatigued smile. He glanced briefly over at Letty, who was standing against the wall, staring ceaselessly at the floor. She looked broken. Standing up from the seat, he wandered over to her and brought her into his arms. Fighting him off, she walked out of the room.

"Dom, she'll be fine. Just give her some space." Mia uttered, her crying having ceased temporarily. Dom sighed before agreeing it to be the best course of action.

Letty wandered upstairs and into Leon's room. It was empty, but his presence still filled it. She could smell him lingering in the air. Walking over to the cupboard he had pointed to earlier that day, she spotted his chain. The thick, silver band that had adorned his neck for so long. She had never asked him where he had got it from, it was just part of him. The first time they had met him, all those years ago when he had stumbled across their paths, he had been wearing it. She remembered how he had shown up one day, then the next, and then somehow never left. Slowly he became part of the team, which at that point consisted of a fresh from Lompoc Dom, her fifteen year old self, Vince and of course, Mia, though only on occasion. He came in and fitted in seamlessly, then a few weeks later he brought Jesse along, and the four of them had evolved into a six, and had become a team, the team.

She ran the chain through her fingers as she sat down on the bed. It was too weird. He was gone and he wouldn't be coming back. She clenched the chain in her hand tightly as she lay down on the bed. For a while, Letty just lay there, not moving, gazing up at the ceiling. Slowly though, her body curled up into a ball and she fell asleep. Dom walked past the room and noticed her sleeping. Walking in, he wrapped the blanket around her body and placed a kiss on her cheek.

She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but by the time she woke up it was pitch black outside. She rolled over to the bedside table and saw that it was approaching midnight. Dragging herself from the bed, Letty wandered back downstairs to find Vince sitting on the sofa.

"Where did everyone go?" She questioned, still a little drowsy. She wiped her eyes, dislodging the remainders of sleep from them before sitting herself down next to him.

"Roxy left about an hour ago, Mia and Dom went out somewhere and Mad's asleep. You ok girl?" Vince asked, pulling her into him. Feigning a smile, she nodded.

"We've still got a lot to do before the funeral."

"Yeah, I know. It will be fine though, Let." He said trying to reassure her, his fingers entwining with hers as he took her hand, "You gonna be alright? I'm beat and just need to crash." Again, she nodded. He let her go before going to stand, but was suddenly overcome with grief, "It's not fair, Let. Leon didn't deserve to die. Especially not like that." Vince cried, letting his body fall back down into the sofa. Letty hugged him tightly as the tears flowed from his eyes. The ragged, exhausted sobs reverberated through Letty's body as she forced her own tears to stay inside. 'Stay together', she thought to herself. As she held him, his crying slowly easing, Dom and Mia wandered back into the house. Understanding the situation, they said nothing and simply left the room.

* * *

The funeral approached them rapidly. It had been four days since Leon had died and the time had been spent in a solemn manner. The garage had remained closed, Xander coming round to offer his help, but realising Letty's adopted military precision was seeing that no detail was left unchecked. Mia was standing by the kitchen counter, a black dress covering her tiny frame. As she poured the water into the glass, she felt Dom's dominating presence enter the room. She offered him a sombre greeting to which he replied in a similar tone.

"Dom, I'm worried about Letty." She spoke, turning from the counter to look at her brother, "I don't think she's coping."

"What do you mean? She's fine, well as well as can be expected."

"That's the thing though. She is keeping things together a little too well. She hasn't cried Dom, she's become compulsive with everything, she is running around ragged, looking after us, looking after Maddie, taking care of business. She has barely eaten anything. She only speaks when she absolutely needs to. The rest of the time it's as if she is on another planet. It's worrying." Dom stroked his chin, as if in thought before shaking his head.

"Mia, you know Letty isn't one for crying." Mia sighed before shrugging her shoulders. That much was true.

"I know, but she cried when Jesse died, she cried when," She stopped herself, refusing to divulge to her brother that his now wife had cried herself to sleep on many an occasion after he left, "You of all people should know she isn't always the tough girl. She can hurt just as much as anyone here. Just keep an eye on her, alright." She uttered as she left the room. She had to admit defeat, resolving though to keep an eye on her even if he didn't.

* * *

Vince looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, his face still dripping droplets of water off it having just been splashed. He hadn't slept well in the last few days but hoped that the relative closure the day would bring would slowly help them get back on their feet. After drying himself off, he sighed heavily and wandered towards the stairs.

"Maddie, would you just put your leg in the fucking hole. I can't be doing with your shit this morning." Letty moaned as she tried to dress her daughter. Vince caught the tail end of the conversation and quickly intercepted.

"Let, everything alright?" He questioned, knowing that in every way that question could be taken, the answer would always be a resounding no. "Want me to help?"

"She's being such a brat this morning. Take her." Letty snapped handing the half dressed Maddie over to Vince. Cuddling her tightly, he watched as Letty stormed out of the room.

"It's alright sweetie. Mommy is just as little upset at the moment." He spoke softly to the small child. Vince silently cursed though. This was not Letty. She had never raised her voice to Madeline, she had never been so impatient with her and she had never, ever before sworn in the presence of the baby, let alone at her. Shaking his head, he slowly dressed Maddie and carried her downstairs. Letty was busy drinking a cup of coffee, unaware or not bothered that everyone was looking at her, neither of them daring to speak.

"Give me Maddie, Vince." She demanded having disposed of the rest of the drink. Handing her over, though with some caution, he watched as they left the room.

"You ok, V?" Dom questioned, noticing that his eyes had not left Letty's retreating figure. Vince nodded, slowly bringing his attention back into the kitchen.

* * *

The service was a mix of deep sorrow and happy reminiscing. Vince had prepared an eulogy that recounted the many times they had got into trouble, how it was either involving cars, women or both. He struggled to get it all out though, his voice cracking under the heavy burden of emotion. Dom had said a few words also before they turned to Letty. She passed Maddie over to Mia, and walked solemnly over to the lectern. Taking a deep breath of air, hoping it would calm her nerves, she looked at the mass of people sitting in front of her.

"Leon," She stopped, realising in that moment that it was too much, everything had been said and by saying any more it was just compounding the fact that he was no longer there, "Leon, I'm gonna miss you so so much. Say hi to Jess for me, bro." She uttered before taking her seat once more. Vince glanced at Dom, but his friend was wrapped in his own little world. As the coffin descended, destined for cremation, the muffled sobs of the mourners filled the chapel. Letty, who was once again holding her daughter, stared at the front, watching intently. Her face was emotionless. Maybe a slight hint of tiredness displayed in her eyes, but overall it showed no indication to how she was feeling inside. Mia watched her for a while, in between her own mourning. 'That's not right,' she thought, especially having noticed Vince and Dom's crumpled faces.

With the funeral over, everyone gathered at the fort. It was packed with almost the same group of people who had attended the wedding just over a week beforehand. Mia had busied herself with making sure everyone was feeling okay, Dom, Vince and Roxy were talking to various people whilst Letty stayed in the kitchen tending to Maddie. Mia swooped in on the kitchen, watching her for a while. She didn't know what she wanted to see, but what she saw was not it. Letty was still emotionless. It was as if the person who they had said goodbye to, meant nothing to her, just another person to have departed this world, the brutal reality that came with having life. Yet, she knew that was far from the truth. Leon was Letty's best friend, the guy who had stayed with her through everything.

"I'm going to put Maddie to bed in a bit. Its been a long day." Letty spoke, suddenly becoming aware of Mia's presence.

"Let, it's alright to cry. Leon told me he wanted everyone bawling." She replied with a small laugh recalling the conversation she had had with him a few weeks previous. Letty bestowed her a weak smile before leaving the room. Shaking her head, Mia started to pour another round of beverages.

A few hours had passed, and people were slowly leaving. Dom loosened the tie that was slowly suffocating him and rubbed his hand over his bald head. Roxy had kicked off her shoes and a more relaxed atmosphere was descending on the room. Vince came into the living room, glancing round as if he had lost something.

"You ok, Vince?" Mia questioned, looking up from the floor where she had been briefly glancing at a magazine.

"Where's Let? I haven't seen her in hours." It suddenly dawned on them that none of them had. Dom glanced around the room, almost as if he needed further proof she wasn't there, "I've checked the garage, and both cars are still here. If she left the house, she walked." Vince added, concern in his voice. The four people in the room suddenly began to worry.

"I'll be back." Dom spoke as he left the room and climbed up the stairs, three at a time. He opened the door to Leon's room, causing a waft of his scent to hit Dom's nose. He drew back in sadness before looking in but it was empty. Closing it again, he strolled down to their room. Yet again, he found it vacant. After trying both Maddie's and Vince's bedrooms, noting that his daughter was safe, there was only one option left. He tried the door to the bathroom, but it was locked.

"Let, baby, it's me. Open up." Pressing his ear against the door, he could hear the shower running but no sound of movement, "Babe, let me in." He asked again, his voice becoming more concerned. Still there was no reply. Desperation coursed through his body, a sickening sensation filling every fibre of his being. He was left with just one choice. Forcing his body against the door with a single violent push, it popped open.


	38. Last Goodbye

Chapter 38 

His heart hit the bottom of his stomach as he saw Letty sitting in the bath. The flow surging against her back, her body sitting in the shallow pool of water. As she sat there, shivering, her knees pulled tightly against her chest, her head resting on them, he realised Mia had been right. He walked over to the tub, turned off the shower and grabbed a towel from the rail. Wrapping it around her fragile body, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carried her back to their room. He placed her down on the bed. Her body still wrapped in the towel. Lying down next to her, Dom enclosed her tightly into his embrace. Her body shuddered as the tears flowed from her eyes and she released every tired emotion that she had been fighting against since they had all found out. His voice tried to soothe her with tender words, but it was little comfort. She was still shaking incessantly.

"Baby, I'm so sorry." He uttered, his hand gently stroking her sodden black hair, the other tightly holding her body against his. His body was consumed with a melee of emotions. Sadness and anger being the strongest of them. How could he have been so blind? How could he have missed the fact that his wife had been coping too well, only to be slowly crumbling inside? "I've been an idiot. I'm sorry. I'm here now baby, I'm not going anywhere." There was a gentle rap at the door and Vince slowly popped his head around the door.

"I'll tell Rox and Mia." He whispered as he saw the two of them on the bed, his heart falling further as he realised the pain she was going through. As Vince closed the door behind him, Dom continued to reassure Letty. He held her tightly, letting her unleash the pain on to him. After a while, he felt her bodies tremors begin to subside, her breathing become more regular. He loosened his grip on her and took her face in his hands.

"I love you, Letty. And I am so sorry." She stared back at him, her eyes still drenched with tears and filled with a sadness she never knew was possible. Closing her eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but was only mere seconds, she inhaled and looked him deep in the eye.

"I need you Dominic. I need you like you needed me," She said, remembering the night he had found out about Leon being sick. A tear pooled in her eye before making its way down her reddened, puffy cheeks, "Please." Her words were laden with hurt and pain and suffering. Understanding what she meant, Dom gently lowered his lips upon hers, trying desperately to mend her shattered heart.

"It's going to be ok. I promise." He whispered as he undressed himself and slowly, ever so softly, discarded the towel that had encased Letty to one side.

* * *

It had been nearly two weeks since the funeral. Mia was due to return to New York, but it was with some reluctance. She had spent the past few days making sure everyone was coping but she still had reservations about Letty. Things were slowly returning to normal. The garage had remained closed. They all knew that Leon was the best mechanic out of the team and it still felt too weird not to have him around. They had known that the day would come when he wouldn't be there, but now, knowing he was gone, it was too difficult to truly comprehend. The garage would re-open at some point but this wasn't it. Even though they were slowly rebuilding their lives, Mia worried about her sister. After the incident at the funeral, she had remained distant. Her only solace was found in spending time with her daughter. Dom had reasoned that this was to be expected, understanding her need to grieve on her own terms, but Mia was not convinced.

Vince wandered into the kitchen and spotted Mia sitting at the table, drumming her fingers lightly against the surface.

"You all set, Mimi?" He asked with a slight smirk. The name had stuck despite her objections. Giving him a sarcastic smile, it soon changed into a concerned one.

"I want you to talk to Letty, and I mean really talk to her. Grill her if needs be." She stated. Vince looked down at her, slightly confused, "She doesn't listen to me anymore and Dom doesn't feel he should do it. I asked Roxy but she has the same view as Dom. You are the only one who can do it now." Still confused as to what he was being asked to do, he pressed her to continue. "V, you need to find out what is going on."

"Mia, she's just lost one of her closest friends."

"We all have."

"And we deal differently with these things. Look, Let was probably the closest person to Leon. That is why he told her first, why he no doubt waited till she was in the room before dying. I am not going to grill her. She will come round soon enough. In the mean time, she is not hurting herself or anyone round her, so I'm not gonna say anything."

"So you're gonna wait till she does." Mia spat at him. She was trying desperately to rile him, to get him to act. He glared at her, the anger slowly building at the accusations she was making.

"She wouldn't. Look, I'll talk to her, but I am not grilling her and I am certainly not taking your approach." Vince muttered before wandering back out of the kitchen. He was concerned though. Leon had told him that she was a wreck after the accident. No doubt compounded by the fact she had nearly lost her own life, and then had to cope with the trauma of losing Jesse and Dom doing a disappearing act. Yet, this time round, she seemed to be retreating, crawling to find solace in a place no one could reach her. He was convinced that if she didn't have Maddie, Dom would have found her that day in a situation none of them could have recovered from.

She wasn't too hard to find. As he entered the nursery, he spotted her sitting on the window sill, looking out of the window. He wandered over to the crib and smiled down at Maddie who was sleeping soundly. Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, he thought about the best way to talk to her. Reluctantly, he had to admit that Mia was right. Letty was different, distant. She would do everything that was required of her, but generally her time was spent with Maddie. Even when the baby was sleeping, Letty would stay in the nursery.

"She's getting big." Vince mumbled, starting his conversation on the one thing that meant more to Maddie's mother than anything else.

"Yeah, she is." Letty replied.

"How you doing, girl?" Vince asked in the most casual tone he could muster.

"I'm fine V." Letty answered, looking up at him. Her hand tugged softly at the blanket draped round her body, pulling it closer around her, "Something you want."

"We need to figure out what to do with Leon's ashes. He left that part out of his plans." Vince mumbled, almost too frankly. He watched as her face grew even more tired.

"I can't do this, Vince." She whispered, forcing the words to finally leave her body. "I just want him back. I want all this to be one horrible nightmare. But it's not and I don't know how to cope." Vince walked over to her, sitting himself down and pulling her tightly into his embrace. As she let the tears flow, he fought to keep his own in check. Try as he did though, it wasn't long before he felt a familiar wetness against his cheeks. He had cried so much in the past few days, he couldn't comprehend how there were still some left.

"V, I think we should scatter them up at his spot." Letty sobbed out, her head moving away from his chest. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed at the damp stain she had created on his shirt.

"His spot?" Vince questioned looking down at her.

"Yeah, we all have spots. Call this mine." She said with a soft smile, "Leon had one too."

"Ok then," He replied, stroking the hair back from her face, "I think that would be perfect"

* * *

Letty and Vince manned the driver's seats as they drove the relatively short distance to Leon's spot. It was his hide out, his retreat. The house had always been his form of escape when they lived in the old Toretto fort. However, since they all lived in that house now, he'd had to find another locale to chill in. He'd let Letty in on it, just in case she got worried about his where-abouts, but had only taken her there once. As she drove, she remembered the night he had come round to see her.

_It had been a few weeks after her and John had moved in together. Leon had come round in the dead of night, shown up at her door and practically begged her to come with him. Reluctantly she'd agreed, knowing that it was very rare for Leon to beg her for anything. After allaying John__'__s fears that they weren__'__t having some illicit affair, she let him drive her up to where they were going. _

"_Leon, where the hell are you taking me?__"__ Letty asked, pulling the jacket around her body a little tighter. He noticed the subtle movement and drew up the window in his new Skyline. He had fought hard to get his hands on his new baby, but she was his pride and joy now. Breaking with his past, he had opted to paint her a striking midnight blue. _

"_Vince was doing my head in, got some bird with him, and I needed a break.__"_

"_Le, its like one in the morning. I've work tomorrow. I__'__m tired.__"__ Letty moaned as she turned to look at the driver. Realising quickly though that this wasn__'__t the average __'__I need a break__'__ trip. __"__You ok, Le?__"_

"_I miss him, Let. I know it__'__s been, what, seven months now? I should be over it, I should be moving on. But he was my best friend. You, Vince, Dom and Mia, you guys had all known each other for years, then I came along, broke up the party.__"_

"_Joined the party.__"__ Letty quickly added, with a smile crossing her face. She wasn__'__t too proud to admit that they__'__d had some pretty amazing times prior to the whole incident._

"_Right, ok. Then Jesse came along and it was like, bam!. He was like the little brother I never had. Y__'__know?__"__ Leon said, glancing at her. Letty nodded. He pulled up into a secluded layby on the side of the highway. It overlooked the ocean, but was guarded by a line of bushes. The place was the kind that you could only come across by chance. Getting out of the car, they wandered to the hood and perched on it. __"__Welcome to my solace. Come up here when I need to get away.__"__ Staring out into the inky blackness, she could hear the water lapping up against the rocks below. There were a few faint stars shining. The moon was high in the sky._

"_Le, it__'__s beautiful.__"_

"_It__'__s pitch black Letty.__"__ He laughed, before feeling a thwack against his arm, __"__Seriously, you should see it during the day.__"__ They stayed there for a while, maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour, they didn__'__t really know. _

_As they drove back towards LA and their respective homes, Letty stole a glimpse at Leon. She could see him hiding his pain. He was the closest thing she had in her life. John may have been her lover and Vince would always be her big brother, but the bond between her and Leon had intensified in recent months. Sighing as her eyes went back to watching the road through the side window, a sad thought crossed her mind. __'__You__'__re going to break my heart one day.__"_

Letty remembered the journey perfectly. It may have been over two years ago, and it may have been in the dead of night, but somehow she knew the route. She signalled, glancing backwards to see if Vince was doing the same. Fortunately he was, sitting patiently on her tail, watching her every manoeuvre. She brought the car to a halt, and caught her breath in her throat. 'He wasn't kidding,' she thought as she surveyed the view in front of her. She nudged Dom, who glanced at her. His eyes telling her that their thoughts matched. Pulling Maddie out of the car seat, he rested her in his arms and walked to the barrier. Glancing down briefly, he quickly backed up. They were high. Letty laughed at him as she craned her body over the ledge.

"Didn't want to risk Maddie, that's all." He spoke in a tense voice. Vince, Roxy and Mia were soon by their side, the burly guy carrying the urn of their friends ashes. Letty sighed mournfully as she saw it. With his free hand, Dom rubbed her shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Nice spot." Vince chimed in, his attempt to lighten the mood being quiet successful.

"Right," Letty said determinedly, "Leon, you dragged us up here, and yeah, ok, you were right. It is pretty impressive."

"I hope you didn't mind me taking your car, brother. It didn't deserve to be cast to one side though. You worked too damn hard on it. Plus, got to keep this arm in good working mode." Vince added, laughing to himself.

"Le, I'm gonna miss you." Dom mumbled nervously. He wished above all things in that moment that he had never left them. Too much had been lost, too many irreplaceable moments had been missed. Letty gripped on to his hand that was lying lazily around her shoulder.

"Hey Le. We miss you." It was all Mia could muster. Roxy took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Eyes fell on her and she coughed nervously. She had never been good at these things. Thinking for a moment, she looked at the ground.

"Le, you were the first person who came up to me. I remember, you saw straight through me, trying to be all tough and shit. And I think Letty will let me off for swearing this once," She said, glancing over at Letty. It was obvious there was no protests coming from her, "You were always my man though. Sure, Vince may be my man, in that sense of the word, but you are my man, my dawg. And you always will be. I will be nagging you constantly now. Probably moaning about that stupid brother of yours. Apologies now for that, but it's gonna happen." The four others standing next to her sniggered slightly, including Vince, who nodded in agreement. "Seriously though, you, Let and V were the best people I could have ever met. LA was this scary new prospect for me. And yeah, sure I had friends here already, but you guys, you made it worth it all. You want to know the reason I came back, the real reason. I missed you. Took me a fucking year to realise, but all those nights I was out with my old friends, all I could think about was what you lot were up to. I'm gonna miss you, man. So much it hurts to even think about it. Say hi to nana for me. And Jesse, even though I didn't know you, look after Le for me. Love you."

Roxy looked at her friends, flanking her on both sides. All of them were expressing some form of sorrow. Vince unscrewed the lid of the urn, tipping it to one side and allowing the ashes to float on the wind. As she watched them disperse through the air, Letty whispered her goodbyes. They stood there, silent for a moment, before slowly drifting back towards the car. Letty shifted her stance but remained watching the ocean.

"I'll be there in a moment." She uttered as Dom walked towards her. He nodded and told her to take as long as she needed. Slowly walking towards the barrier, she stepped over it and sat down. It wasn't the comfiest seat she had ever sat on, but it would suffice, "Le, someone once said a real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. You're a real friend, will always be. In all the time we have known each other, you have stuck by me. Through those stupid fights with Dom, to that time when I really shouldn't have drunk all that vodka." She laughed before pausing, taking in the view and composing her thoughts.

"More importantly, I know that I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't stuck by me. You were the only thing keeping me going after we all fucked up. Thank you so much for sticking by me, through everything. You have been my rock, babe. I don't know what I am gonna do without you, but I think I'll cope. When Roxy stops chewing your ear off, know that I could always use it." She could feel the tears on her face and cautiously wiped them away with her sleeve. Inhaling deeply, she smiled and stood up. Stepping over the barrier, her eyes not yet ready to look back at her waiting family, she looked up as her hand fell on to her stomach. "Love you Leon. Jesse, you better take good care of him."

She walked back towards the cars and the others. Smiling through her sadness, she was quickly pulled into Dom's comforting embrace, her daughter resting against his hip. Letty glanced at Roxy and Vince, who were busy sharing a moment. Her eyes diverted to Mia, attracted by her seemingly talking to herself. Seeing the cell phone clamped to her ear though, she realised her little sister hadn't gone completely mad. Mia seemed happy for the first time in a while and it brought comfort to Letty.

"You ready to go home, mami?" Dom questioned, looking down at her. Letty nodded and glanced at him with a weak smile.

* * *

A/N: Ok, I promise, no more sadness. The next (and final) two chapters are a lot happier. Thanks again for all the reviews. The response to this story is more than I could ever have imagined. And I am so glad that I added to this from its original version. So yeah, thank you. Coming up...happy stuff! Haha.


	39. Simple Kind Of Life

Chapter 39

Roxy looked at Vince, screwing her face up tightly.

"Come on woman, you're killing me here. Answer the damn question?" She looked down at his hands before bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"It's a big decision, Vincent. Can't just make a rash choice." He sighed heavily before folding his arms across his chest.

"Roxana, decide on a colour now or the living room is being painted black."

"Could be interesting. Alright, alright, less of that face. The lilac one will be perfect."

"Purple it is then." Vince replied, uncurling his arms and wrapping them around her.

It had been five months since the wedding, five months since Leon had died. The first couple of weeks after had been horrendous for all of them. Letty was slowly, very slowly getting back to some semblance of normality. It was in those first few weeks though that Vince saw just how much Dom had changed. He was constantly by her side, looking after both her and Maddie. They had re-opened the garage two months after the funeral. No one could face working there, knowing Leon wouldn't be walking round the corner at any moment, or treating them to one of his impromptu singing sessions. However, they knew he would kill them if they let it go by the wayside.

"Vince, earth to Vince." Roxy shouted, bringing him out of his trance. He looked at her, still holding the colour sheets of the paints they were looking at, "Welcome back buddy. I said, do you want to go round to Let's tonight? We need to get the house sorted for pumpkins birthday." Vince nodded causing Roxy to just laugh. She wandered into the kitchen and pulled out two bottle of beers. Their new house was a lot smaller than the old one, but they liked it. It was only a five minute walk from Letty and Dom's, who were still living in Leon's. He had insisted that no one should be forced out of it and made sure the deeds had been signed over to Letty.

"You're good to me wifey," Vince smiled as she handed him a beer. Arching an eyebrow, Roxy shook her head before rolling her eyes, "You will be my wifey one day."

"Not if you insist on calling me wifey." She smiled walking closer to him. Her hand ran through his hair and came to rest on the back of his neck.

"Ok, I promise. But seriously, you're good to me bitch." Vince laughed before feeling the force of her hand against the back of his head, "I deserved that."

"Yes you did." She replied affectionately, before stroking the patch of head she had just hit. Roxy took a swig of her beer, her eyes not leaving Vince's as he watched her, "I love you, V." The words slipped out of her mouth quite unintentionally. She recoiled slightly, but he gripped her round the waist, refusing to let go.

"I love you too, babe." He whispered. Subconsciously, her body relaxed in his arms and a smile appeared on her face.

* * *

Dom walked into the bedroom and smiled warmly at the sleeping beauties that lay on his bed. Maddie was curled up in her mothers arms, the new one lying between them, nestled snugly in her mother's tummy. He had been watching them for about ten minutes, when Letty finally spoke,

"Dom, we aren't moving anytime soon, so either you join us or go away." Taking that as his cue, he took off his shirt and slipped in beside his daughter.

"Better?" He questioned, his hand moving on to Letty's side, "How are my three favourite girls?" They had found out a few days prior that Toretto junior was to be a girl, a prospect that both delighted and scared the crap out of Dom. Three women, all with Letty's blood coursing through them, was enough to scare even the strongest man.

"Big sis and junior are fine, Letty though is tired, cranky and wants her husband to just shut up and go to sleep." He laughed softly before nodding and closing his eyes.

Four hours had passed before either of them stirred. Dom, who was now on his back, Maddie lying on his stomach, opened his eyes and was confronted by Vince.

"Morning sleepy." He beamed, lifting Maddie up off her father. She stirred slightly before hearing the familiar tone of her uncle's voice and dropping off back to sleep in his arms.

"We're taking that key off you, you do realise?" Dom sneered as he yawned.

"I think daddy is tired, Miss Madeline." Vince mocked, knowing he was only antagonising Dom further, but loving every minute of it.

"Daddy is tired, mommy is," he turned to see Letty stirring before the corners of her lips curled into a wide grin, "Mommy's awake now. Fine, fine, we'll get up."

The five of them, Dom, Letty, Vince, Roxy and Maddie, prepared the living room for the impending birthday. Well, Maddie played in the corner with her mom, whilst the others did the manual labour. As they fixed balloons to the ceiling, banners to the walls and draped streamers around the house, Vince had failed to notice how quiet Roxy had become. She sloped outside for a cigarette, perching herself on the table.

"Those things will kill you." Dom muttered as he walked towards her. He wasn't about to get into his anti-smoking rant, but needed something to break the ice.

"Hey, it's the D man." Roxy laughed, prompting Dom to quirk his brow, "Sorry Dominic, I'm just playing. Come sit."

"You alright? You've been quiet all afternoon, which is not like you in the slightest. You and Vince fallen out?" He asked, genuine concern on his face. He perched on the opposite side of the table.

"Me and Vince are fine Dom. Just having five minutes. Maybe six, might make this one last a little longer. Letty looks good. She's really glowing." Dom smiled broadly.

"Yeah, yeah she is." He replied tenderly. The plan had never been to have a baby so soon. They wanted to give it a little while. However, Letty knew on instinct just two weeks into the pregnancy that she was expecting again, "I think we have a name for her. Jayda Leone." On hearing the middle name of their unborn child, Roxy's stomach knotted tightly.

"He wanted to be here. He wanted to see Maddie's birthday." The words struggled to come out, choked with emotion.

"He is, Rox. With Jesse as well. They're here. I can sense them." Dom whispered as he looked at the younger girl. He could see the hurt in her eyes and wondered if she could see his own pain, "I'll see you inside. Take as long as you want."

Once back inside, Dom looked down at where Vince was now playing with Maddie, the work seemingly suspended for the time being. He shook his head and moseyed over to Letty who was splayed out on the chair, her legs over the arm, her head falling backwards.

"Comfy?" He questioned laughing. Smiling up at him, she sat up and spun her legs to the front, "Swap places." Dom said as he pulled her from the chair, took her seat then brought her back on to his lap. She snuggled into him. They had only just found a comfortable spot when the phone began to ring. Vince was not moving anywhere, having a little terror sitting on his chest rendering him incapable of movement, and with Letty sitting on Dom she realised she would have to move.

"Yellow?"

"_Hey Letty, it's me." _Johns voice rang out through the speaker,_ "I'm just in the store and have a choice of Winnie the Pooh or Piglet. Gut instinct tells me to go with Piglet, but what do you think?"_

"John, you made me get up for that?" Letty sighed down the phone.

"_Sorry, but I don't want to disappoint Madeline._"

"You won't. Go with your instinct. It's usually right. What time you gonna be here tomorrow?"

"_About one. Flight arrives at 12. How is the new one?_" He questioned without any hint of jealousy in his voice. He was actually happy for her, realising that she would be fine, even if Dom could be a bit of a thug at times.

"She's good, man. Real good. Ok, well Mad is about to kill Vince I think, so we will see you tomorrow. And thanks John, I appreciate this."

"_Wouldn't have missed it, Let. See you tomorrow. Give her a kiss for me._" He hung up and Letty quickly went to retrieve her daughter before she did any more damage to her uncle's face.

"She's gonna pick up bad habits if you don't stop her." Letty said, shaking her head, "And why didn't you move to stop her, eh?" Turning her attention to Dom. The smirk on his face made it blatantly clear that he was finding it far too funny to even consider moving.

* * *

The party went off without a hitch. Maddie was thoroughly spoilt rotten, with cards, presents and enough teddy bears to open up her own shop. She was sitting happily on her mom's lap, teddy in one hand.

"Baby," She said with determination, her free hand resting on Letty's stomach.

"Yes sweetie, that's where baby is," She looked up and saw Dom striding over to them. Setting himself to grab the small child, Letty thought it best to warn her, "I think someone wants to play with you, m'jiha." She uttered as he grabbed Maddie round the waist. As she watched Dom throw their daughter in the air, listening to the excited squeals of the one year old, Letty let out a contented sigh. Her hand slipped down her sunglasses on to her face before dropping on to her stomach. Stroking it absentmindedly, she watched the various people in the yard talking and chattering away. She thought about moving, joining in with the games, but she had already decided to milk this pregnancy for all it was worth. When she was expecting Maddie, she had been insistent on doing everything possible, just to prove to herself that she could. Now though, she was more than happy to just savour the offers of help.

Partly though, she was still recovering from losing Leon. Her heart hurt everyday and though she wouldn't admit it, she would still find herself crying on occasion. Although she realised that hormones may be a factor sometimes.

"Hey Letty." Vince's voice boomed into her thoughts. She turned and looked up at him, her eyes following as he crouched down beside her.

"Hey yourself. You good, man?"

"Just peachy. Shame Mia couldn't make it." He added, noting how the youngest Toretto sibling was absent from the proceedings. Letty shrugged,

"She apologised. She'll be back for Christmas and will no doubt spoil her even more than she is being spoilt now." Vince laughed and looked at her. She had mellowed so much recently. He didn't even want to contemplate how mellow she would become if she had any more children. Maddie had chilled her out sufficiently, but now she was horizontal at times.

"I've got Maddie to call her Mimi." Vince said proudly, knowing how much it irritated Mia.

"I know, me too." Letty laughed, recalling Mia's face the first time she had called her that. She sobered up rapidly though, "Hey V, promise me something."

"Shoot mami." He responded, straight away realising that this wasn't going to be some frivolous request. Vince looked down on Letty and could see the hurt reappear in her face. She had become adept at hiding that over the past few months, but here it was as raw as ever.

"I can't lose anyone else. Don't ever lie to me to protect me. It just hurts more." He slipped down to sit next to her, his right arm softly covering her shoulders.

"I promise," He whispered, placing a kiss on her cheek before standing up, "I think I need to show daddy a thing or two about the art of peek-a-boo." Vince laughed before rushing to join Maddie and Dom.

After sensing that Maddie was more interested in her uncles game of peek-a-boo, Dom stalked over to Letty. Her glasses were still covering her eyes, but he could tell she was fast asleep. Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her inside out of the sun and towards their room.

"I could get used to this." Letty mumbled as he placed her on the bed. She lifted her glasses up on top of her head and stared at him. He laughed, the deep baritone of his voice filling the room.

"Just making sure my baby doesn't get sunburnt."

"Dom, I think she is well protected." Letty responded, yawning widely. Dom poked his finger into her open mouth and she promptly brought her teeth down around it, "Do not disturb a yawn."

"Can I have my finger back, please?" He moaned as he felt her teeth sink deeper. Reluctantly she let go. "That girl has some energy. I'm beat. God helps us with J comes along." Dom said as he reclined back on the bed. Letty placed her hand on his stomach, as she turned into his body, "She's only one. Where does it all come from?"

"You're turning into an old man." Letty mocked, closing her eyes before feeling her back touch the sheets, "Baby, think of the baby Dominic." His attention was diverted though.

"Old man! I'll show you old man." He roared as he playfully pushed her top up, his hands resting on her breasts, softly caressing them. "You are so beautiful"

"You been drinking?" Letty laughed, knowing that he hadn't. His mouth was close enough to her face that any hint of liquor would surely be sensed.

"Sober as a judge." He smiled, taking in her face like it was the first time they had been so close, "I love you more and more each day."

"You charmer, but I love you too. So much. You're still an old man though. Out paced by a one year old." Letty laughed, rolling her eyes. His hands wandered down to the hem of her shorts, unzipping them and dragging them down. She grinned at him.

"How many old men can do this though?" He snarled lasciviously as he moved his body down hers.

"Do wha…" Letty gasped, her hands suddenly clenching in the sheets that lay by her side, her head falling back. "You stop and I'll kill you." She growled out, barely even aware that it was her voice speaking.

* * *

The party was slowly coming to a close. Vince had worn himself out playing peek-a-boo all afternoon and returned her into the care of her mother, noticing how she looked even more chilled out. Smirking to himself, he went to claim Roxy back from Dom, who were busy talking in the living room.

"Can I have my woman back please? Yours are outside." He asked, staring down at her. She grinned and took his hand.

"She's all yours." Dom said, practically pushing her into Vince's arms, "Or should that be, you're all hers?" He laughed noticing the love that radiated between the two of them. It had thrown him at first, the fact that Vince had settled down with one woman, but he could see why now.

"You and Let lie in tomorrow, we'll open up. Don't want her stressing out that niece of mine." Vince stated as he was guided out of the house.

"See ya! Letty, see you tomorrow girl." Roxy hollered as they left the house. Dom shook his head, running a hand over it, before joining Letty and the birthday girl outside.

It was peaceful for once in the yard. Maddie had fallen asleep next to her mom, Letty was not far off sleeping herself, softly stroking her daughters back with one hand and her stomach with the other. Keeping quiet as he looked out the door, Dom watched them for a moment, marvelling at the what had become of his life. For so long he thought he was destined to follow a certain path in his life. Constantly on the run or dead, certain that he would rather do that than go back to prison. Yet, here he was married to the love of his life, father of one, soon to be two, and happy. Deliriously so.

"Seriously Dom, cut out the soppy crap and just sit down." Letty said, glancing up at him, obvious affection in her eyes. He complied with her request and sat next to her. As they watched the day slowly drift into night, Letty sighed happily and fell to sleep, her head resting on Dom's shoulder.

* * *

A/N: And there it ends. The next chapter is set in the future and, like Leon's death chapter, it has been waiting for months to be published. Something a little different, but it ties up any loose ends. Not an epilogue as such, just a chapter that fermented in my brain whilst at work. Btw, Kia, how the hell? You are very perceptive. I thought I made it such a subtle comment about Letty's pregnancy in the last chapter. Oh well, it's all good. I hope this has made up for the tears I caused.

And again, thank you so so much for the reviews. **Nikki**, **Kia**, **myppe** and** ames** (who I know has been very busy) thank you all so much. You have stuck with this fic. But all the reviews have all been so positive and for that I am thankful. For those who read and haven't reviewed, I hope you enjoyed this little fic. And I am prattling on, so I am shutting up now.


	40. Strangers

Disclaimer: As with the rest of this story, I do not own any character that you recognise from TFATF (I wish I did). However, I do own those you don't recognise, especially Roxy and Maddie.

A/N: So here is the final chapter. I'm actually impressed. This is the first fic I have finished in a long long while. I have dozens of beginnings, then I get distracted. Thanks again for sticking with it. The plot bunnies are working on a new idea, but whether it will surface into something decent, only time will tell. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Comments as ever are appreciated, especially now it is all over.

* * *

Chapter 40

Her hand raked through her long, black hair as she yawned. Slipping the sunglasses up onto her head, she rubbed her eyes. She had been driving for four hours in the sweltering heat and knew it was time for a break. Spotting the sign for a small roadside café, Maddie breathed a sigh of relief. Signalling to turn, she hauled her car into the parking lot and turned it off. Grabbing her small green bag, she got out, locked it and wandered towards the café. She quickly glanced back to make sure it was secure. That car was her baby and meant the world to her. Her parents had given it to her as a present for her 16th birthday. In the four and a half years she had owned it, they had travelled a fair distance.

As she entered the café, her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket. She slipped it out and noticed it was her dad calling,

"Hey Papi," She answered breezily, "Yeah, I should be home late afternoon, possibly a little later. Just stopped to get some food and a drink. Yeah, Chicago was fine. John's new wife is, erm, interesting. Tell you more when I get home. Yeah, I will be home tonight. I have presents for you all. Alright, see you later. Love you." She hung up and popped it back into the pocket of her jeans. Strolling up to the counter, she briefly gazed around the café. It was pretty quiet but then they were in the middle of nowhere. The walls were a gaudy orange colour, occasionally interspersed with farming pictures, and the tables were decorated with some rancid plaid coverings. Yep, she wasn't in LA anymore, or even Chicago for that matter. It was the first time she had driven to and from Chicago to see her father and she had resolved that it would be the first of many road trips to her father's house. The journey was interesting, if a little on the long side.

She sat down on the chair and placed her bag on the counter. Gently holding the chain around her neck between her forefinger and thumb, she looked up as a short woman walked over to her. Maddie noticed how she was quite young, with mid length blonde hair, obviously not natural but subtle nonetheless.

"Hi, you ready to order?" She was taken aback when she heard the strong English accent. Looking at the woman, she took a moment to ponder how an English girl ended up stuck in middle of nowhere America. Dismissing it, she smiled at the woman.

"Yeah, could I have a large diet coke and, erm, the blueberry waffles. Oh and a coffee, no milk. Please." Maddie added, quickly remembering her manners. The woman smiled before traipsing off to the kitchen. Scanning the room again, she felt someone's eyes bore into her. At first she chose to ignore it, wanting to talk to someone being the last thing on her mind. All she wanted to do was eat, drink and get back on the road. After a while though, with the guy's eyes still firmly on her, she lost it.

"You got a problem, man?" She stated abruptly as she turned to look at him. In a second, she embodied everything her mom had taught her about standing your ground and not taking bull from anyone. She had even got her mother's stare down, the one that could make grown men quake in their boots. She could tell he wasn't expecting it as his gaze quickly shot to the wall in front of him, "Didn't think so." The waitress walked over with her order, Maddie remarking how speedy the service was before quickly realising they were hardly rushed off their feet. She took a large swig of the coke, before tucking into the waffles. It was the first thing she had eaten all day and as they slipped down into her stomach, she could sense them placating her hunger. As she scooped another mouthful onto her fork, she felt the guy staring at her once more.

"What the hell is your problem?" She questioned, waiting for him to turn back to the wall and so was shocked when he responded,

"Nothing, you just remind me of someone I knew a long time ago." Maddie paused for a second as she looked him up and down.

He was about 45, maybe older. He had a slight surfer look about him but a non-descript accent so she couldn't tell if he was an east or west coast native. His blonde hair was flecked with a few grey wisps, but nothing too harsh. She noticed he was attractive in an older guy kind of way, but nobody special. He wore dark blue jeans and a white shirt. There was nothing remarkable about him, but he certainly didn't look like a serial killer. 'Mind you, what do serial killers look like?' She thought.

"Oh yeah, who?" She asked intrigued, as she slipped the forkful of food into her mouth.

The guy stood up from his chair and walked to the one positioned next to her. She tensed up for a second before settling down. He smiled at her as he placed his left hand on the counter, steadying himself as he sat down on the chair. She noticed the wedding band on his finger. Sighing to herself at the fact a married guy was about to hit on her, she smiled back.

"It doesn't matter. Last thing I heard she was dead anyway." Shrugging her shoulders, Maddie took a sip of her coke before placing it back on the counter and taking a sip of her coffee. The guy laughed at her, "You always do that?"

"Only when I have a six hour drive and I need the caffeine. What's it to you anyway?" He shook his head, "So why are you out here? You're obviously not a local." The guy looked at her, still fascinated at the resemblance.

"I got lost. Took a wrong turn and well, ended up here. What about you?"

"I'm on my way back home and needed a break."

"Home?" He questioned as he watched her eat another mouthful of waffle. It wasn't that he wanted to hit on her, but there was something about her that had raised his curiosity.

"Yeah, LA. You know it?"

"A bit. Lived there a long while ago before I left for Miami. That's been my home for the last two decades." The waitress walked over to the two of them and refilled both cups of coffee. Maddie looked up at her and said thanks. Realising the guy had not thanked her, she turned to him and kicked him in the shin.

"Manners are free, buster." His ears pricked up. Hadn't been called that for a fair few years, "Say thank you." He did as he was told, causing the woman behind the counter to laugh. The man picked up the cup and took a swig of the coffee.

There was an uneasy silence as he contemplated on what to say next. He looked around the café, noticing the various patrons. There was a young couple in the far corner, laughing to each other. She was a petite brunette whilst he resembled the jock of the school, well built, possibly taken one too many knocks to the head. Near the door, an elderly lady was slowly eating a slice of toast loaded with peanut butter. The glass of water by her side was half drunk, the imprint of her pink lipstick brandished on the rim. His gaze turned to the mirror at the back of the counter. He noticed how the Latino girl next to him was busy polishing off her brunch. He was still stunned at how frighteningly similar she looked to the woman he once knew. There was an aura of confidence surrounding her. Sitting comfortably in a pair of jeans, the legs carefully tucked into her black boots, a black tank top with her sunglasses sitting on her head, she caught him staring at her.

"I'm Maddie, by the way. I could tell you were wanting to ask. You are?"

"Brian." She gave him an amused smile, "Something wrong?" Shaking her head, she laughed before taking another sip of her coke. 'Typical white boys name', she thought to herself.

"No, not at all."

"I saw you arrive in that car, you own it?" Maddie gave him a sarcastic look before continuing to laugh.

"No, I just pick up random cars and drive them. Of course I own it. Why?"

"You a racer?" She took a moment whilst she tried to establish if she had heard him right. Noticing that he hadn't corrected himself and was patiently waiting for her response, she realised that she had indeed heard perfectly.

"What do you know about street racing?" She questioned incredulously.

"I've been known to race in my time. Got into it when I moved to LA." She suddenly became more interested in the white guy sitting next to her. Stuck in the middle of nowhere but someone knew about street racing. She wasn't about to pass up on the opportunity to talk.

"Yeah I race. Runs in the blood, I suppose you could say. That's my baby outside. Cherish her so much. What did you used to race in?" Brian realised he had firmly established himself as someone legitimate in her eyes and relaxed a little.

"My first was a Mitsubishi Eclipse, but that got torched. Then I had a Supra," Maddie's eyes lit up.

"You had a Eclipse. Sweet car. Torched though, ouch," Her phone began to vibrate again and reluctantly she got it out, "Sorry, it's my sister. I'll just be a moment." As Maddie took the call, Brian went over what she had said about racing and cars.

He was taken back to the summer he spent in LA. How he had willingly thrown away his career for the team he had come to call family. He would often wonder what they were up to. He knew Jesse had died on that ill-fated day but Vince had survived, miraculously. The injuries he had sustained, he should have died before the helicopter had reached them. He had known when he went to see him in the hospital that it would be the last contact he had with any of them. He had betrayed all of them and as much as he wanted to change things, it had to be done. Getting them off all the charges had been a struggle but when the heists stopped and no-one could track any of them down, it was finally dropped. Along with Brian's career in LA. But he reasoned, it was what he deserved. The second chance he was given in Miami was just a lucky break. Letting Dom go after their race was the least he could do to show how remorseful he was. 'I wonder where he is now?', he pondered realising he was probably in Mexico or some similar locale. He had heard on the grapevine that Letty had died shortly after the heists and assumed that Vince and Leon were still in California somewhere.

And then there was Mia. He had never meant to fall for her. His task was simple; infiltrate the group, find out who was responsible for the heists, catch them and get out. A promotion would follow, he would be on mega bucks and live happily ever after. But there she was. And he fell for her. Vince had been partially right. When he jumped on that semi to save Vince's ass, in the far crevasses of his mind he wondered how it would look to Mia, risking his life to save her brother's best friend. But in all honesty, he wasn't about to let Vince die on that truck. Sighing to himself, he caught the tail end of Maddie's conversation,

"Jayda, I told all this to papi. Yes, I will be home later on tonight. I have about another six hours in front of me, but I will be home. I fear mom too much to even consider missing the twins birthday. Yes, yes, love you too. Bye" She cancelled the call and sighed heavily, "Families, who'd have them? Middle of nowhere and I've got a signal, just my luck." She added with a laugh.

"You have a big family?" He questioned with genuine interest. Maddie smiled at him softly as she thought of her family,

"I have two sisters, Jayda and Adriana, and twin brothers, Jose and Anthony. It's their thirteenth birthday tomorrow. So you were a racer, eh?" He nodded, "You ever win?"

"In LA? No. The competition was tight. You win?" Maddie laughed, before nodding.

"Yeah, but I've had some good teaching. Like I said, it's in the blood. My little sister, Ana, she's like 10 and is already spending her weekends working in my parent's garage." Maddie ran her hand through her hair again before fixing a band around it. She took another sip of the coffee, "So, Brian, I see you are married?"

"Yeah. Fifteen years." Brian replied, looking down at his wedding band, a small smile creeping across his face

"Kids?" Maddie asked, turning to tables on his interrogation.

"Just the one, a son, Jesse. He's 12 years old in a few weeks." Maddie smiled politely as she remembered her parents telling her about their friend Jesse. He had died after being shot by a guy her dad referred to as 'a sorry excuse for a man.' The pictures of him that dotted the house showed him as a fun loving man and she wished she'd had the opportunity to meet him.

"So where are they? Your wife and son, are they in Miami? And if so, why are you out here on your own talking to random young women?" He smirked at her before shaking his head.

"Yeah, they're in Miami. I'm here visiting friends. And I am talking to you because I was sitting on my own, and in this place you looked like the sanest person."  
"And I look like someone you used to know." She laughed, "And I drive a sweet ride."

"Yeah, and yeah." There was a long silence, but unlike the earlier one it was relaxed.

Maddie finished off her coffee and the waitress was quick to fill up her cup. In the short time they had been there, another person had arrived. He was old and grey, tall and wearing thick, round glasses. She laughed as she realised he resembled the old farmer in the American Gothic painting. Wherever she was, she realised it was as far removed from Los Angeles as was possible. Apart from the man sitting next to her. Despite believing he had raced at some point in his life, she was reluctant to call him a racer. She knew racers and he would have stuck out a mile. The three cups of coffee had begun to make themselves known in her bladder and she made her excuses, taking her bag with her.

In her absence, Brian finished his own drink. As the waitress came over, he was quick to decline her refill. He glanced out of the window before the high-pitched shrill of his phone beckoned his attention. Answering it promptly, he hadn't even glanced at the caller ID.

"Hello? Oh hey. No, I'm just at some little roadside café. Yeah, everyone's fine, they send their love. How's J? Good. I'm gonna get a flight back in a few days. Ok, love you honey. Bye." He hadn't noticed Maddie retaking her seat next to him.

"The missus?" She questioned, causing him to jump slightly. He nodded as he slipped his phone back into his jeans pocket, "Anyway Brian, I need to leave. My mom is not someone you want to get on the wrong side of and if I miss my brothers birthday, I will be in for it." She said with a delicate laugh. He could tell that she had a close family. Every time she spoke about them, she seemed to glow.

Sighing, he realised that if he didn't ask, he would spend the rest of his life wondering. He had been pondering this question for a while, despite accepting that he was probably way off the mark. She could tell he was thinking of something and stared at him intently, "Whatever it is, just ask me?"

"This is going to sound crazy, but the woman you remind me of," Staring at him with intrigue, she signalled for him to continue, "you wouldn't happen to know her?"

"Brian, hate to break this to you, but I'm not psychic. Give me a few more details to help me narrow it down."

"Yeah sorry. She was called Letty, was dating this guy Dominic Toretto." Maddie stared at him in shock but it must have translated as confusion, "Yeah, I thought as much. It's impossible for you to know her. I heard she died years ago, probably before you were even born." Shaking her head, Maddie decided to probe deeper, curious as to how he knew them.

"How did you know this woman?"

"She was the girlfriend of the guy I was working for when I was in LA. I was kind of taken into their family for a while. They were the ones who got me into racing and the reason why I never won anything there," Brian laughed quietly, "Dom was top dog, you know. Anyway, things happened and I had to leave pretty quickly. Never got the chance to say goodbye to them. Last I heard though was that Letty had died following a car accident."

"How did you hear that?"

"On the grapevine."

"Well, that particular vine is no longer producing good grapes, man. Letty is alive and well. Happen to know her pretty well." Brian's eyes widened with both disbelief and what appeared to be happiness, "I'm her daughter."

"And now it all makes sense. You really are the spitting image of her. Who is your father?" Brian asked tentatively

"My father is a guy named John." Brian nodded, confirming his suspicions that Dom had fled and left Letty the day he had given the keys of the Supra to him, "Dom Toretto is my dad though. Him and mom have been together since before I turned one so I see him as my dad."

"That's good to know. They always seemed like the type of couple that would stay together. Five children as well." He smiled as he shook his head in amusement.

"Yeah, but I think my mom has put a stop to having anymore on pain of death for my dad. We're good though. Jayda is 19, then there's the twins, who will be 13 tomorrow and then there is my baby sis, Adriana, though she is going through a petulant phase at the moment and insisting on everyone calling her Ana. She is like a mini me version of my mom, temperament and everything."

"Mind if I ask, but do they still know Vince and Leon and," He paused, not wanting to say her name but doing so anyway, "And what about Mia?" He was dismayed by the look in her eye. It read of sorrow. Her hand came up to her throat, delicately holding onto the chain.

"Uncle Leon died a long time ago. He became sick with cancer and passed away not long after my mom and dad got married. Vince and Mimi are fine though." Brian's thoughts were again dashed. 'Guess he managed to get with her after all.', "Aunt Mimi lives in Maine, she's a physiotherapist, but Vince still lives in LA. Not too far from us. Him and Roxy, that's his wife, and their children Ellie and Luke." He stared at Maddie and tried to take in everything.

He reasoned that whatever had happened in the past had firmly been forgotten and they had moved on with their lives as any person would. He thoughts were tinged with sadness at hearing the news about Leon. He had never had the opportunity to get to know him as well as the others, but he could tell that he was a decent guy. Looking at Maddie, he could see Letty so clearly in her. The hair, her face, the way she carried herself, even how she had given him the 'don't fuck with me' attitude earlier. All that was different were the slightly lighter skin tone and the piercing green eyes. Finishing off her glass of coke, she smiled at him. Dragging out a slip of paper from her bag and a pen, she scribbled something down on it.

"Well, anyway Brian…?" Maddie questioned

"O'Connor. Brian O'Connor."

"Well, Mr O'Connor. It was nice to meet you. If you're ever in LA, here's our address. I'm sure mom and dad would like to see you again." He smiled at her with slight unease but accepted the piece of paper regardless, "And I hope you can find your way home and not get lost again." Picking up her bag, she left her payment and a tip on the counter and left. Brian watched as she got back into her car and drove off, before screwing up the piece of paper and dropping it into the dark liquid Maddie had left in her cup.

Back on the highway, Maddie cranked up the music before she felt her phone vibrate once more. Turning her music down, she hauled it out of her pocket, sighing heavily as she glanced at the screen,

"What Ana?" She huffed down the phone to her youngest sibling, "Well, so far Papi and Jayda have both called me. Fine, put mom on. Hey mom."

"_Don__'__t shout at your sister, Maddie. You will be here by tomorrow won__'__t you? Tony leave your sister alone!__" _Letty hollered down the phone. Laughing, knowing the destruction those two could cause, Maddie responded

"Yes Mom. I told Papi I would be, and then when J called I told her the same thing. Hey mom, I've just met someone that apparently you knew from years ago. A guy called Brian O'Connor. You remember him?" There was a long pause from the other end of the phone.

"_Yeah, I remember him." _Letty replied with an obvious irritated tone to her voice, _"__Anyway baby, drive safely and we will see you tonight. Anthony Vincent Toretto, I'm warning you! Good, now put her down and do your homework. And Mads, don__'__t tell papi that you met him, ok? And definitely don__'__t tell your uncle Vince. Keep this one between you and me, k?__"_

"Sure mom." Maddie replied, knowing that if her mom had asked her to keep something quiet, there was probably a good reason for doing so.

"_Love you, m__'__hija.__"_

"Yeah, love you too Mom." Cancelling the call, Maddie placed the phone on the seat next to her and turned the music back up to full volume.

The End.


End file.
